Raising Kanye

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. In Raising Kanye, Donda not only pays homage to her famous son but reflects on all the things she learned about being his mother along the way. Featuring never-before-seen photos and compelling personal anecdotes, Donda's powerful and inspiring memoir reveals everything from the difficulties she faced as a single mother in the African-American community to her later experiences as Kanye's manager as he rose to superstardom. Speaking frankly about her son's reputation as a "Mama's Boy," and his memorable public outbursts about gay rights and President George W. Bush, Donda supports her son without exception, and here she shares the invaluable wisdom she has taken away from each experience -- passion, tolerance, patience, and above all, always telling the truth. Ultimately, she not only expresses what her famously talented son has meant to her but what he has meant to music and an entire generation.

Donda West previously served as the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University. Karen Hunter is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a celebrated radio talk-show host, and coauthor of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Confessions of a Video Vixen, On the Down Low, and Wendy's Got the Heat. She is also an assistant professor in the Film & Media Department at Hunter College. Kanye West is an American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He was born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago. He is known as one of the world's best-selling music artists and has won twenty-two Grammy Awards.

Introduction

CHAPTER ONE...Back to the Future

CHAPTER TWO...Ray West

CHAPTER THREE...And Baby Makes...

CHAPTER FOUR...Love Don't Come Easy

CHAPTER FIVE..."Hey Mama!"

CHAPTER SIX...I'll Fly Away: From Chi-town to Shanghai

CHAPTER SEVEN...L No!

CHAPTER EIGHT...College Dropout

CHAPTER NINE...Rap or Bust!

CHAPTER TEN...Through the Wire:The Accident

CHAPTER ELEVEN...Jesus Walks

CHAPTER TWELVE...The Roses

CHAPTER THIRTEEN...Arrogance or Confidence?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN...Pink Polos and Backpacks

CHAPTER FIFTEEN...Gay Bashing: "Yo, Stop It!"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN...Nigga vs. Nigger

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN...Heard 'Em Say: "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People"

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN...Touch the Sky

CHAPTER NINETEEN...Giving Back:Loop Dreams

Epilogue