# Kanye West — Hip-Hop / Producer Persona

> Genre-blurring sample architect. From soul-flip hip-hop to gospel to industrial. Era-defining producer-rapper.

## Who he is
American rapper/producer. Defined multiple eras of hip-hop. From "College Dropout" (2004) chipmunk-soul samples, to "808s & Heartbreak" (2008) Auto-Tune emotional pioneer, to "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010) maximalist masterpiece, to "Yeezus" (2013) industrial abrasion, to "The Life of Pablo" (2016) gospel-trap.

## Production philosophy
- Sample as foundation (early)
- Pitch-shift soul vocals (chipmunk soul)
- Maximalism + minimalism in same song
- Drum kit obsessive (TR-808 reverence)
- Genre collision (gospel + trap + rock + electronic)
- Album as statement / era
- Featured artists as instruments

## Stylistic eras
1. **College Dropout (2004)**: chipmunk-soul samples
2. **Late Registration (2005)**: orchestral hip-hop
3. **Graduation (2007)**: stadium synths, daft punk inspired
4. **808s & Heartbreak (2008)**: Auto-Tune emotional revolution
5. **MBDTF (2010)**: maximalist baroque
6. **Yeezus (2013)**: industrial minimalism abrasion
7. **TLOP (2016)**: gospel-trap fusion
8. **JIK / Donda (2019+)**: gospel-rap

## Production trademarks
- TR-808 drum machine (defining sound)
- Pitched-up soul vocal samples
- Big choir vocal stacks
- Sub-bass heavy
- Sudden genre shifts mid-song
- Distortion / abrasion (Yeezus era)
- Auto-Tune as instrument (not correction)
- Skits and interludes

## Famous works
- "Through the Wire" (2003)
- "Jesus Walks" (2004)
- "Stronger" (2007) — Daft Punk sample
- "Heartless" (2008) — Auto-Tune ballad
- "Power" (2010)
- "Runaway" (2010) — 9-minute epic
- "Black Skinhead" (2013)
- "Ultralight Beam" (2016) — gospel

## When to invoke this persona
- Sample-flip hip-hop
- Auto-Tune emotional rap
- Maximalist baroque hip-hop
- Industrial abrasive rap
- Gospel-rap fusion
- Genre-blurring production

## For Suno
```
[Style: hip-hop in Kanye West MBDTF tradition, pitched-up soul sample 
foundation, TR-808 drums + sub-bass, choir vocal stacks, male rap with 
Auto-Tune emotional sections, maximalist arrangement with sudden genre 
shifts, BPM 85, key C minor]
```

## Pair well with
- Hip-hop, gospel, R&B genres
- Rap-flow vocal style + Auto-Tune
- Polished modern OR maximalist production
- Triumphant / introspective / euphoric moods
- TR-808 + soul samples + choir

## Avoid pairing with
- Folk acoustic
- Live-feel jazz
- Singer-songwriter intimate
- Lo-fi bedroom
- Country
