The God Complex : A Psychoanalytic view of Kanye West
Zayyan Aziz
Dr. Carol-Anne Hendry
University of Guelph
PSYC*2740 – Fall ‘22
, 1
Kanye West, now known simply as "Ye West," is a well-known and recognisable name all
over the world. Kanye’s skill as a successful rapper, songwriter, and fashion designer, has
allowed him to be such a significant person in the pop culture industry. Kanye has had a major
impact on the hip-hop business and mainstream culture in general, having four number 1 hits on
Billboard and 20 top ten hits. (Billboard, 2022). Being extremely successful in his career by
ranking as the eighth highest celebrity to receive the most number of Grammy Awards, that
being 22. (Chuck Arnold & Rob Bailey-Millad, 2022). The purpose of this essay is to use
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories to psychoanalyse Kanye West and discuss how these
changed and shaped the Kanye we know today.
Part I : Biography
Kanye West, now legal name Ye, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. Kanye
had a loving mother, Donda West who was a college professor and father, Ray West who was a
photojournalist at that time. (Biography, 2022) When Kanye was 3 years old, his parents
divorced, leaving him to live solely with his mother. Donda West, worked as a college professor
at Chicago University while they lived in a middle-class neighbourhood in Chicago. Following
Kanye’s high school graduation, Kanye enrolled in the Chicago State University: Art School for
a year before dropping out, so he could pursue his career in the music industry. (Justin, 2022).
Knowing that he wanted to work on music for the rest of his life, Kanye moved to New York
City and started working for the record label “Roc-A-Fella”. There, he worked with Jay-Z and
helped with the production of his 2001 album "Blueprint." (Justin, 2022). Kanye quickly became
well-known for his incredible beat production after the album's release and quickly found
himself in great demand for his talent as a music producer, but because of Kanye's upbringing in
a middle-class environment, he struggled to gain recognition as a rapper. “The College
Zayyan Aziz
Dr. Carol-Anne Hendry
University of Guelph
PSYC*2740 – Fall ‘22
, 1
Kanye West, now known simply as "Ye West," is a well-known and recognisable name all
over the world. Kanye’s skill as a successful rapper, songwriter, and fashion designer, has
allowed him to be such a significant person in the pop culture industry. Kanye has had a major
impact on the hip-hop business and mainstream culture in general, having four number 1 hits on
Billboard and 20 top ten hits. (Billboard, 2022). Being extremely successful in his career by
ranking as the eighth highest celebrity to receive the most number of Grammy Awards, that
being 22. (Chuck Arnold & Rob Bailey-Millad, 2022). The purpose of this essay is to use
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories to psychoanalyse Kanye West and discuss how these
changed and shaped the Kanye we know today.
Part I : Biography
Kanye West, now legal name Ye, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. Kanye
had a loving mother, Donda West who was a college professor and father, Ray West who was a
photojournalist at that time. (Biography, 2022) When Kanye was 3 years old, his parents
divorced, leaving him to live solely with his mother. Donda West, worked as a college professor
at Chicago University while they lived in a middle-class neighbourhood in Chicago. Following
Kanye’s high school graduation, Kanye enrolled in the Chicago State University: Art School for
a year before dropping out, so he could pursue his career in the music industry. (Justin, 2022).
Knowing that he wanted to work on music for the rest of his life, Kanye moved to New York
City and started working for the record label “Roc-A-Fella”. There, he worked with Jay-Z and
helped with the production of his 2001 album "Blueprint." (Justin, 2022). Kanye quickly became
well-known for his incredible beat production after the album's release and quickly found
himself in great demand for his talent as a music producer, but because of Kanye's upbringing in
a middle-class environment, he struggled to gain recognition as a rapper. “The College
