There are many sides to Kanye West. There's the brilliant artist that's released ground-breaking music. There's the egomaniac that says his greatest pain is that he can't watch himself perform. There's also the controversial Kanye that runs up on the stage and interrupts Taylor Swift. Then there's the Kanye that's Kim Kardashian's husband and a family man. However, there's another side to Kanye that doesn't get as much attention. There's the loving son that misses his mother with every bit of his heart.
On November 10, 2007, Kanye's mother, Donda West, sadly passed away. His mother was 58 at the time of the sudden tragedy. Donda passed away after undergoing cosmetic surgery the day before. Her passing shattered Kanye and has haunted him since that day. Indeed, some observers attribute his struggles with mental health and behavior to her passing.
Kanye had a close relationship with his mother. Kanye and Donda had a bond that few mothers and sons have. They loved each other deeply. The sweet and caring side of Kanye often comes out when talking about his mother.
Now, it's time to take a closer look at Kanye and Donda. Here are 15 Sweet Facts About Kanye West's Relationship With His Late Mom, Donda.
15 Kanye's Still In Mourning
Donda West's passing still haunts Kanye West after all these years. He never got over her sudden and tragic passing. Kanye admits it breaks his heart that his mother never met his daughter, North West.
He said, "There's only one thing I wish I could change out of everything that's happened. I wish my mother could've met my daughter." Donda West's sudden passing deeply hurt Kanye. Despite all of his flaws, he was a good son to his mother. He cared about her and turned to her for help. Now, he no longer has that option.
14 Donda West Raised Kanye On Her Own
Kanye West's parents divorced when he was only three years old. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther and the first African-American photojournalist at the Atlantic Journal-Consitution.
After the divorce, Donda West raised Kanye on her own, which is part of the reason they were so close. They moved to Chicago when Kanye was young because Donda taught at Clark Atlanta University. Kanye had a good childhood and upbringing. His mother did her best to support him and give him everything he wanted. Later, Kanye returned the favor.
13 Donda Supported His Poetry When Nobody Else Did
Kanye West has a passion for his art like no other artist has. Indeed, Kanye started writing poetry when he was five years old. However, his mother didn't recognize his talent and passion until he was in the third grade. Regardless, she encouraged her son's passion and told him to chase his dreams.
He started writing music by the time he was in the seventh grade. Of course, he went on to become one of the most famous rappers in the world. Donda West played a considerable part in the development and growth of his talent.
12 Kanye And Donda Lived In China When He Was Ten
Kanye West and his mother, Donda, spent a few years in Chicago before moving abroad. Indeed, Kanye was traveling the world well before he was a household name. Kanye was ten years old when they moved to Nanjing, China. Donda accepted a job teaching at Nanjing University.
During this time, Kanye and his mother grew closer. Kanye was the only foreigner in his class but adapted quickly. He even picked up the language while living in China.
11 Donda Became His Manager
Donda West spent most of her career as a university professor. She taught English. However, she soon gave that all up for her son, Kanye. In 2004, Donda retired from teaching and started a new career. She became Kanye's manager - she started to take care of his business ventures and other projects. Donda also became the chief executive of West brands and the chairwoman of The Kanye West Foundation.
Of course, Kanye could trust his mother more than any person in the world. She did a great job managing his career, as he won several Grammy Awards and became a world-famous star.
10 Donda's Law
Donda West's sudden passing sent shockwaves around the world. It even had people re-examing the safety of cosmetic surgery. In 2009, then-Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed "Donda's Law." The law states that a patient must undergo a full physical examination before cosmetic surgery.
Kanye and his family feel that a law like this would have saved his mother's life. Kanye's cousin, Yolanda Anderson, helped to push the bill through and make it a reality.
9 Despite Being A College Professor, Donda Supported Kanye Dropping Out Of College
Kanye West became a household name after releasing the critically and commercially acclaimed album, The College Dropout. However, it wasn't just a title of an album. Indeed, Kanye dropped out of college to focus on his career.
Despite being a university professor at the time, Donda West supported her son's decision. She admitted to always feeling that having an education was an essential part of life. However, she recognized her son's talent and agreed that school was getting in the way.
8 Donda's 67th Birthday
Kanye West often thinks of his mother, but no day is tougher than her birthday. On Donda's 67th birthday, Kanye paid tribute to his late mother on Twitter. As noted, he often tweets about his mother since her passing.
On her birthday, Kanye made several sweet and kind comments about his mother. He also noted that his daughter, North West, wishes that she could see her grandmother. In 2015, Kanye released the single, "Only One", featuring Paul McCartney. The song is from the perspective of his mother delivering a message to his daughter, North West.
7 The Donda Company
Kanye West keeps his mother's memory alive in various ways. He won't let her memory fade away. Indeed, he often pays tribute to her. For instance, he named one of his companies, DONDA, after his mother.
In 2012, he launched DONDA with the idea of creating a space for like-minded creative individuals. Kanye noted that he wanted to pick up where Steve Jobs had left off. DONDA was behind the art of several album covers, live stage shows, and other forms of entertainment.
6 Kanye's Open Letter To The Surgeon That Performed The Surgery On His Mother
In 2018, Kanye wrote a letter to the surgeon, Jan Adams, who performed the cosmetic surgery that would play a part in Donda West's passing. Kanye asked Adams to appear on the cover of an album. Kanye noted that he wanted to "start the healing" and include the words, "Love Everyone."
Adams responded to Kanye with a letter and chose not to appear on the cover. For years, Kanye held bitter feelings towards the doctor but is attempting to move on with his life.
5 Performs "Hey Mama" As A Tribute To His Mother
Kanye West got back to performing a few weeks after Donda West's passing. He performed his 2005 track, "Hey Mama." Kanye dedicated the song to his mother and performed Journey's classic, "Don't Stop Believing." He continued to play both songs as a tribute to his mother for the rest of the Glow In The Dark tour.
Indeed, Kanye often performs "Hey Mama" for his mother. At the 50th Grammy Awards, he performed "Hey Mama" and dedicated the performance to her. Kanye also created a t-shirt that paid tribute to his late mother, as well as Kim Kardashian's late father, Robert Kardashian Sr.
4 Kanye Blames Himself For His Mother's Passing
Kanye West is known for his enormous ego and controversial moments. However, there's a darker side to Kanye. After all these years, Kanye blames himself for his mother's passing. He's blamed himself in several interviews. Kanye believes it's his fault because they moved to Los Angeles.
He said, "When I moved to LA, she moved to LA. snd she wound up in a place that would eat her alive. Even if I stayed in New York, it wouldn't have been like that. If I lived in New York, she'd still be here".
3 Kanye Pays Tribute To Donda On Mother's Day
In 2019, Kanye West paid tribute to his mother, Donda, on Mother's Day. Kanye's struggled since her passing, and Mother's Day is always challenging. He thinks about her every day, but Mother's Day just makes him think of her more often.
For Mother's Day, Kanye broadcast his first live-stream church service and dedicated it to his mother. He once again performed, "Hey Mama", in her memory. His wife, Kim Kardashian, and her family were in attendance for the event.
2 Donda Paid For His First Track, Green Eggs & Ham
As noted, Kanye West began writing music by the time he was in the seventh grade. A few years later, he was ready to record his first track.
At the age of thirteen, he recorded his first single, "Green Eggs And Ham." Kanye convinced his mother, Donda West, to pay $25 for the recording. Donda was reluctant after seeing that the studio was simply a basement with a mic hanging from the ceiling. Nonetheless, Donda believed in her son, so she paid for the track. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of her life.
1 Donda Bought Him A Toy Bear Weeks Before Her Passing
In 2019, Kanye West appeared on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with host, David Letterman. During the interview, Kanye opened up about his mother and shared a touching story.
In 2007, Donda West purchased a multi-colored toy bear for her son. Kanye is a huge fan of Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami, and collects his unique bears. The multi-colored bear reminded Donda of Kanye and his bear collection.
At the time, Kanye didn't like the bear all that much. Donda passed away a few weeks after giving Kanye the bear. Kanye then searched for the bear that she'd bought. Kanye noted, "I did everything I could to find that bear and place the bear on top of all the Takashi Murakami stuff I had in the house."