The Strange Story of Kanye West in Gaming

gamerant.com:

Kanye West, also known as Ye, is an unavoidable name in pop culture. Since the 2004 release of his first album, College Dropout, he has maintained a formidable presence in music, managing to secure himself twenty-two Grammys throughout his storied career. Not satisfied with merely being an iconic music figure, Kanye has extended his reach into the realm of fashion, building a clothing empire through Yeezy, a collaborative project between himself and the apparel company Adidas. Thanks to some smart business moves and an incredible amount of talent, Kanye has lifted himself from his humble beginnings in Chicago to become one of America's seven Black billionaires.

While most may know Kanye West for his achievements in music and fashion, many may not be aware that the rapper has had a long interest in gaming and has tried several times to penetrate the gaming market. Although his success in this field has been minimal, the story of Kanye’s intertwinement with the gaming industry is an interesting one.

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Kanye’s big break came thanks to producing music for big names such as Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. However, Kanye’s eyes were not always set on being a global musical phenomenon, and as a child, he initially wanted to make video games. When he was twelve, he began work on his first video game, but even at that age Kanye was an eccentric individual. As such, his Mario-inspired game was quite sexual. Despite the immature themes, it was a difficult project to work on. As Kanye explains: “I'm 12 years old, and this is stuff 30-year-olds are programming. You'd have to draw in and program every little step.”

Though his labor would not result in the next gaming hit, it