Kanye West suffers tragic loss of mother Donda
November 12, 2007
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,
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 Kanye West
Mother of hip hop artist Kanye West Donda West has died unexpectedly from surgical complications. Kanye and his mother Donda had a loving and supportive relationship. Donda was devoted to her son Kanye. Kanye was devoted to his mother Donda.
Earlier this year, a book written by Donda West Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar was published. An excerpt from an Amazon editorial review of Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar reads:
“As the mother of hip-hop superstar Kanye West, Donda West has watched her son grow from a brilliant baby boy with all the intimations of fame and fortune to one of the hottest rappers on the music scene. And she has every right to be proud: she raised her son with strong moral values, teaching him right from wrong and helping him become the man he is today.”
After Dr Donda West retired as the chairwoman of Chicago State University’s English department, she became Kanye’s manager.
According to news reports, Kanye West’s writing partner Rhymefest said of Donda, “She was everyone’s mom. A spirit never dies, a spirit lasts forever.” The cause of death is unknown at this time and the family requests that their privacy be respected. The love of this son for his mother is strong and our hearts go out to Kanye West for the loss of his mother Donda.
Donda West was 58.
Kanye West’s family has issued the following statement:
“Kanye West, his family and friends would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and kind words that have come in from across the country since the death of his mother, Dr. Donda West.
After working in higher education for 31 years, Dr. Donda West and Kanye West co-founded the Kanye West Foundation with the mission of helping to combat the severe dropout problem in high schools across the country.
The first and signature initiative of the Kanye West Foundation is Loop Dreams. Designed to capitalize on students existing interest in hip-hop, Loop Dreams challenges students to learn more about what’s behind hip-hop culture in order to help them develop skills, express themselves creatively and be empowered.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Dr. West’s name to the Kanye West Foundation/Loop Dreams Teacher Training Institute.”
