Songwriter for this eraHe may seem like just another rapper to you, but if you really listen to his lyrics you can see that he's not like any rapper out there. His name is Kanye West and he was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the “ghetto” and learned to appreciate life. He didn't learn to truly appreciate life until October 2002. Returning to his hotel late one night after a recording session, the new rap/hip-hop artist was involved in a devastating, near-fatal car accident. The accident left him with a broken jaw in three places and an appreciation for life. A few weeks after being released from the hospital, he recorded his first big hit, "Through the Wire," with his mouth still closed. He records each song as if it were his last song and this makes each song better than the last. He is not only a rap artist but also a producer. He was responsible for songs like Izzo, Girls, Girls, Girls, The Takeover and Jay-Z's 03 Bonnie and Clyde. “Through the Wire” was his first hit and it hit hard. With lyrics like: I must have an angel/ 'Cause it seems like death missed his ass/ Indestructible/ How did you think they called me Mr. Glass/ I look back on my life like the ghost of Christmas past/ Toys R Us where I used to spend that Christmas money/ And I still won't grow up/ I'm a grown up kid/ So I should be like the other stupid shit I did/ But I'm a champion/ So I turned tragedy into triumph/ Make music that's fire/ Spit my soul through the wires. Read the text and you will see why it is so universal. If you listen to the "beats" and the rhythm you will really understand. One of his most controversial songs came later in his career, it was called "Jesus Walks", many people didn't want this song played but the radios did it anyway and so did MTV. There's a line in the song that makes you appreciate his work: To the crooks, to the killers, to the murderers, to the drug dealers, even to us cripples.../(Jesus walks with them!)/To the welfare victims we feel living in hell here, hell yes.../(Jesus walks with them!)/Now listen, listen, do you want to see yourself more clearly/I know he listens to me when my feet get tired/Cause we're almost