Kanye West, rapper-fashion designer-pop cultural provocateur, is one of the most dynamic (if, at times, polarizing) figures in the world and for good reason.
Since Kanye first appeared on the music scene, he’s gone through multiple transformations — brash young Jay Z-endorsed rapper, enfant terrible of the music world, aspiring fashion visionary, frequent Twitter prophet, Kardashian consort, and artist battling his demons. Throughout the reninventions, however, one thing has remained constant and that’s Kanye’s indomitable belief in himself.
Call it ego, hubris, or narcissism, but Kanye’s supreme assurance in himself is what has made him a cultural phenomenon for close to two decades, something he’s well aware of — this is the man, after all, who once declared himself “the greatest artist of all time” and wryly wrote the lyrics “I love you like Kanye loves Kanye.” This braggadocio has also given birth to some of the most memorable instances in pop culture: when he rushed the MTV Video Music Awards stage during a Taylor Swift acceptance speech, when he unforgettably made his point about former President George W. Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina on live television, and more recently, when his fashion shows had no shortage of drama.
In honor of his 40th birthday, TIME looked back at the most noteworthy moments of Kanye being unapologetically Kanye.
Damon Dash and Kanye West in New York City, on Aug. 15, 2002.Getty ImagesRosario Dawson and Kanye West in New York City, on June 9, 2003.Johnny Nunez—Getty ImagesKanye West in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 17, 2004.Johnny Nunez—Getty ImagesKanye West in London, on Jan. 23, 2004.Johnny Nunez—Getty ImagesKanye West in London, on
Jan. 23, 2004.Johnny Nunez—Getty ImagesKanye West and Drop-Out Bear promote The College Dropout at TRL in New York City, on Feb. 10, 2004.Theo Wargo—Getty ImagesKanye West in New York City, on March 11, 2004.Peter Kramer—Getty ImagesKanye West in New York City, on March 4, 2004.Johnny Nunez—Getty ImagesFrom left: Kanye West, Rick James and Bump J in Los Angeles, on July 8, 2004.Kevin Winter—Getty ImagesKanye West performs "Jesus Walks" at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, on Feb. 13, 2005.L. Cohen—Getty ImagesKanye West and Nelly during Kanye West's Grammy afterparty in Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 08, 2006.Johnny Nunez—Getty ImagesKanye West and Tom Cruise during the Mission: Impossible III in New York City, on May 3, 2006.John Ricard—Getty ImagesKanye West and Paul McCartney attend the Stella McCartney Fashion Show, as part of Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007 in Paris, on Oct. 5, 2006.Michel Dufour—Getty ImagesKanye West poses with children prior to Christmas in Los Angeles, on Dec. 5, 2006.Leon Bennett—Getty ImagesFrom left: Prince William, Kanye West, Prince Harry and P. Diddy at Wembley Stadium in London, on July 1, 2007.Tim Graham—Getty ImagesFrom left: Kanye West, Alexis Pfeiffer, Courtney Love and Mario Testino in Paris, on Oct. 3, 2007.Lorenzo Santini—Getty ImagesKris Van Assche and Kanye West at Dior Men Spring Summer 2009 Fashion Show in Paris, on June 29, 2008.Bertrand Rindoff Petroff—Getty ImagesKanye West wears a custom Louis Vuitton backpack, while performing in New Orleans, on July 4, 2008.Sean Gardner—Getty ImagesFrom left: Kanye West, Marc Jacobs and rapper Jay Z at Marc Jacobs Spring '09 Fashion Show at Park Avenue Armory in New York City, on Sept. 8, 2008.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesKanye West speaks with Anna Wintour as they attend the Givenchy Ready-to-Wear A/W 2009 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, on March 8, 2009.Pascal Le Segretain—Getty ImagesKanye West jumps onstage after Taylor Swift won the "Best Female Video" award during the 2009 MTV VMAs at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, on Sept. 13, 2009.Christopher Polk—Getty ImagesKanye West and Amber Rose at The Louis Vuitton Fashion Show Autumn Winter 2010-2011 Menswear Collection In Paris, on Jan. 21, 2010.Bertrand Rindoff Petroff—Getty ImagesFrom left: Miranda Kerr, Kanye West and Chanel Iman backstage at the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, on Nov. 9, 2011.Michael Stewart—Getty ImagesKanye West and Jay-Z accept the award for Video of the Year onstage during the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles, on July 1, 2012.Michael Buckner—Getty Images Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrive at Kim Kardashian's Halloween party in Miami Beach, Fla., on Oct. 31, 2012.John Parra—Getty ImagesKim Kardashian and Kanye West are seen leaving the Häagen-Dazs store in Paris, on May 18, 2014.Marc Piasecki—Getty ImagesKim Kardashian, Kanye West and North West attend the Givenchy show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 in Paris, on Sept. 28, 2014.Bertrand Rindoff Petroff—Getty ImagesKanye West performs during the Yeezus Tour in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 12, 2014. Mark Metcalfe—Getty ImagesKanye West on the runway at the Adidas Originals x Kanye West Yeezy Season 1 fashion show during New York Fashion Week Fall 2015 in New York City, on Feb. 12, 2015.Theo Wargo—Getty Images Kanye West and Lorde attend the Christian Dior show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2015/2016 in Paris, on March 6, 2015.Rindoff/Dufour/Getty ImagesKanye West receives an honorary doctorate at the School Of Art Institute Of Chicago commencement ceremony in Chicago, on May 11, 2015.Timothy Hiatt—Getty ImagesKanye West, left, accepts the Video Vanguard Award from Taylor Swift onstage during the 2015 MTV VMAs in Los Angeles, on Aug. 30, 2015.Kevin Winter—Getty ImagesKanye West and North West in Soho, New York City, on Sept. 16, 2015.Raymond Hall—Getty ImagesKanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 in New York City, on Feb. 11, 2016.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesKanye West attends Kobe Bryant's last game with the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, on April 13, 2016.Noel Vasquez—Getty ImagesKanye West attends the Met Gala in New York City, on May 2, 2016.Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesKanye West and Kim Kardashian, with Saint West, left, and North West, right, in New York City, on Aug. 29, 2016.Alo Ceballos—Getty ImagesKanye West performs during his Saint Pablo Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on Sept. 6, 2016.Kevin Mazur—Getty ImagesDonald Trump and Kanye West at Trump Tower in New York City, on Dec. 13, 2016.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty ImagesKanye West and Kim Kardashian in New York City, on Feb. 15, 2017.Marc Piasecki—Getty Images
