Kanye West's Mother, Dr. Donda West Dies

A family spokesperson for artist, Kanye West has stated that Dr. Donda West, the mother of super star producer& rapper, Kanye West passed away on Saturday November 10th in Los Angeles California. Dr. Donda West was 58 years old. Kanye was in London when he heard the news. He immediately flew to Los Angeles and is there with family and friends.

Dr. Donda West was a very respected professor and chairperson of the Chicago State University English department. She moved to Los Angeles two years ago. Dr. West was also in charge of Kanye West's foundation that focuses on keeping students in school. She was instrumental in his Loop Dreams foundation that helps finance musical equipment for school music programs.

Dr. West was very active and influential in Kanye's career. She was initially disappointed by her son's decision to drop out of college in pursuit of his music ambitions. Kanye whose name translates to "only one" in Kiswahili was his parents only child. His father, an award winning photo-journalist is a former black Panther and sociology professer/counselor who holds two masters degrees.

Being the product of two highly educated parents, Kanye's mother assumed he would follow his parents footsteps and earn a higher education degree. Dr. West told People Magazine that when Kanye dropped out of college he said "Mom I don't need to go to college because I've had a proffesor in the house with me my whole life." Instead Kanye went full force with pursing his music dreams and soon after his mother allowed him to follow his dreams.

Kanye's mother was influential and active in his career. She even acted as his manager assisting Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua and Gee Roberson of Kanye's management team Hiphopsince1978 with booking appearances and other aspects of her son's career. Dr. West would even call in radio stations and book her son for interviews.