Kanye West

Kanye West
June 8, 1977
Atlanta, Georgia

There's nothing this ground-breaking Gemini is afraid to rap about -- including God.

'They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus, that means guns, sex, lies, video tapes, but if I talk about God my record won't get played, huh?'

Kanye West's Tarot Reading

Kanye West is a record producer and rapper with his own label, G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams). In 2004, his first album as a performer, College Drop Out, was released by Mercury and sold over 400,000 copies the first week. His second album, Late Registration, came out the next year on the Roc-A-Fella label and sold more than 860,000 copies the first week, catapulting it to Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Out of ten Grammy nominations in 2005, Kanye won three. In May of 2006, Late Orchestration: Live at Abbey Road Studios was released on the Mercury label.

Born to Donda and Ray West in Atlanta, Kanye moved to Chicago with his mother when he was three years old. When he was ten he and his mother lived in China for a year. About the experience, he says, 'Most of the kids had never seen a black person before, so they'd come over to me and touch my face, thinkin' it was paint or something.' He attended Chicago State University, where his mother had been an English professor. His parents are divorced.

Sun in Gemini suggests that Kanye West is an eternal child. It's probably no coincidence that his album art depicts a teddy bear with a book bag, and many of his songs portray him as an eternal student. His mind is sharp, watchful, inquisitive, open, mischievous and always eager for new encounters -- although his attention span can be quite brief. He is a quick study and once his curiosity has been satisfied, he is ready to move on. He has a multitude of interests and is not into limiting himself by concentrating on just one. His love of learning pushes him into many different experiences. Says West, 'I was never really good at anything except for the ability to learn.'

Doing the same thing over and over, even if he does it well, is a definite grind for him. He lives in his head a great deal -- reading, scrutinizing, reflecting and spinning ideas around. He has a creative mind and often lives by his wits. He is also a very social individual, with a strong need to communicate and interact with others. He enjoys playing with words and has a flair for getting his ideas across. Writing and speaking are areas where he has true talent. He also has an easy and roguish sense of humor. Though he craves emotional involvement, it is hard for him to achieve it, for he is frequently unwilling to commit or constrain himself. His happiness lies in using his creativity and language skills to communicate something meaningful, to teach, inspire or bring people together -- all of which he does with his music.

Sun conjunct Jupiter means that he is blessed with abundant optimism, self-confidence and cheerful generosity. Good will and friendliness win him many associates. He has produced songs for Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Jay-Z, DMX, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Common, Mos Def and numerous others, while the credits on his own albums look like a 'who's who' in modern music, featuring Bernie Mac, Natalie Cole, Brandy, Nas, Cam'ron, Adam Levine, Lupe Fiasco, Jamie Foxx, Paul Wall and GLC, Really Doe, Consequence, Common, Jay Z and many more. He has grand visions and aspirations, and the desire to succeed in a big way. Sun opposition Neptune makes him extremely sensitive, giving and compassionate. Ideals and spiritual values motivate him and he cannot live for personal gain alone. There must be an element of beauty, magic or inspiration in anything he does. The arts, theater and music suit him well.

With Mercury in Taurus he operates in a very deliberate and methodical manner and he is difficult to influence once his mind is made up. Patient and persevering, he becomes adept at anything he applies himself to, for he is willing to devote much time and attention to it. He succeeds because he has the ability to concentrate and follow a project through to its completion. He also has an aptitude for singing, which comes through loud and clear on his records. Mercury conjunct Sun/Venus reveals that he has a charming disposition and loves to socialize and meet new people. He also likes to be surrounded by beautiful things and to rap about love, beauty, fashion and art. Mercury conjunct Sun/Mars indicates that he is physically vigorous and always ready for action. A quick thinker, he is able to make snap decisions and may by coincidence create opportunities for himself as a leader.

Venus in Taurus means that in love, he is steadfast and loyal, especially if he has a warm, demonstrative partner. He is very sensually oriented and needs lots of touching and physical affection. He is a wonderful lover, very attentive to the comfort and enjoyment of the one he loves, and is tremendously responsive to beauty. With Venus conjunct Mars, it is difficult for him to go without romantic involvement for very long. When he is attracted to someone, he pursues them ardently. Creative or artistic work can also satisfy his intense desire for love and beauty.

Mars in Taurus suggests that once he sets his mind on a goal, his dedication and commitment to it are extraordinary. He is a reliable and productive worker, often shouldering more of the workload than his co-workers. Establishing a routine with clearly defined responsibilities is very important to him and once he gets started, it is easy for him to follow through. Getting started is more difficult. He has a comfort-loving side and there is often a good deal of inertia for him to overcome before he gets going.

Mars opposition Uranus/N. Node discloses that exercising self-control may be quite difficult for him and he could become involved in clashes. 'I hate the way they portray us in the media,' he declared on television in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 'If you see a black family it says they are looting. If you see a white family it says they are looking for food ....' Conversely, Jupiter sextile Saturn gives him the patience and the stamina to realize his visions and bring them down to earth -- a fine balance between hard work and realism and a positive, hopeful spirit. He grows by taking one step at a time. Overnight success or instant enlightenment are not what he aims for. His patient, well-balanced approach gives him credibility with many different types of people, and he is likely to gain an excellent reputation for being able to do big things.

Saturn trine Neptune makes Kanye very sensitive to the inner qualities of integrity and good will. He is philosophical about life and very perceptive. With Saturn sextile Pluto he is capable of overcoming tremendous odds. When he sets his sights on achieving something or is presented with a challenge, it is his capacity for getting along with very little and riding through tough times that enables him to triumph. In October of 2002, he was in a car crash that nearly cost him his life. 'I have flashbacks of what happened every day, and anytime I hear about any accident my heart sinks in and I just thank God that I'm still here,' he says. 'That steering wheel could have been two inches further out, and that would have been it. You find out how short life is and how blessed you are to be here.' He suffered multiple fractures to his jaw, inspiring him to write a song he called (and sang) 'Through the Wire:'

I really apologize how I sound right now, man
If it's unclear at all, man
They got my mouth wired shut for like I don't know the doctor said for like six weeks
You know we had reconstru ...
I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
Looked in the mirror, half my jaw was in the back of my mouth, man
I couldn't believe it
But I'm still here for y'all right now, yo
This is what I gotta say, yo
Yeah, turn me up, yeah.
What if somebody from the Chi was ill, got a deal on the hottest rap label around
But he wasn't talking 'bout coke and birds it was more like spoken word
Except he really putting it down
And he explained the story about how blacks came from glory
And what we need to do in the game
Good dude, bad night, right place, wrong time
In the blink of an eye his whole life changed
If you could feel how my face felt you would know how Mase felt
Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt ....

Although the song eventually became one of his signature works, he had trouble getting it out to the public at the time. 'No one at Def Jam or Roc-A-Fella believed in 'Through the Wire,' he recalls. 'So I shot a video using my own money.'

Jupiter in Gemini shows that he has the ability to see connections between seemingly unrelated ideas or worlds and to bring them together. This is evident in his music, which is rich, complex and melodic as well as ferocious. In the song 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone,' he mixes Shirley Bassey's rendition of the theme song from the James Bond film, Diamonds are Forever with his own spoken words:

Good Morning, this ain't Vietnam still
People lose hands, legs, arms for real
Little was known of Sierra Leone
And how it connect to the diamonds we own
When I speak of diamonds in this song
I ain't talkin bout the ones that be glowin'
I'm talkin bout Rocafella, my home, my chain
These ain't conflict diamonds, is they Jacob? Don't lie to me mayne
See, a part of me sayin' keep shinin',
How? when I know of the blood diamonds
Though it's thousands of miles away
Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today
Over here, it's a drug trade, we die from drugs
Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs
The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses
I thought my Jesus Piece was so harmless
'Til I seen a picture of a shorty armless
And here's the conflict
It's in a black person's soul to rock that gold
Spend ya whole life tryna get that ice
On a polo rugby it look so nice
How could somethin' so wrong make me feel so right, right?
'Fore I beat myself up like Ike
You could still throw ya Rocafella diamond tonight, 'cause ...
Diamonds are forever, forever, forever ....

Kanye West excels in any field requiring a clear intellect and communication skills. He has an insatiable curiosity; his mind never stops. Jupiter opposition Neptune indicates that he is highly idealistic and a big dreamer. He can be extremely impractical and will believe anything is possible no matter how 'far out' or impossible it seems. He is also a generous, giving soul and sometimes finds it difficult to limit his charitable impulses. With Jupiter trine Pluto his sensitivity to the larger social context of a project gives him the perspective to discern and attract good opportunities and prospects. He is likely to achieve a high level of success in his career or business -- or as he puts it in 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone,' 'I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man.'

Saturn in Leo reveals that he is very selfconscious and has a great need for ego-affirmation and praise. 'We all self-conscious. I'm just the first to admit it,' says Kanye. Expressing himself freely, openly and unselfconsciously may not be easy for him, but he pours his heart out in the song, 'Hey Mama.'

(Hey Mama), I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I'm so proud of you
Let me tell you what I'm about to do, (Hey Mama)
I know I act a fool but, I promise you I'm goin back to school
I appreciate what you allowed for me
I just want you to be proud of me (Hey Mama)
I wanna tell the whole world about a friend of mine
This little light of mine and I'm finna let it shine
I'm finna take y'all back to them better times
I'm finna talk about my Mama if y'all don't mind
I was three years old, when you and I moved to the Chi
Late December, harsh winter gave me a cold
You fixed me up something that was good for my soul
Famous homemade chicken soup, can I have another bowl?
You work late nights just to keep on the lights
Mommy got me training wheels so I could keep on my bike
And you would give anything in this world
Michael Jackson leather and a glove, but didn't give me a curl
And you never put no man over me
And I love you for that Mommy can't you see?
Seven years old, caught you with tears in your eyes
Cuz a n---- cheatin, telling you lies, then I started to cry
As we knelt on the kitchen floor
I said Mommy Imma love you till you don't hurt no more
And when I'm older, you ain't gotta work no more
And Imma get you that mansion that we couldn't afford
See you're unbreakable, unmistakable
Highly capable, lady that's makin' loot
A livin legend too, just look at what heaven do
Send us an angel, and I thank you Mama
(Hey Mama).

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