Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia), also known as Ye, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, and fashion designer. West began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, when he formed the rap group Go Getters with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity through his work in New York, where he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.