Kanye West April 30, 2008

After beginning his career as a producer, Kanye West joined Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, who lauded his soulful approach to hip-hop production. His debut album, 'The College Dropout,' scored with critics and fans alike, 'Late Registration,' produced by Jon Brion, pushed the envelope even further with the hit singles 'Gold Digger' and 'Touch the Sky.' It was his Grammy winning album 'Graduation' that opened the floodgates, with hits like 'Stronger,' 'Good Life' and 'Can't Tell Me Nothing.' The "Glow in the Dark" Tour features West with fellow Grammy winners Rihanna and Lupe Fiasco, plus the explosive combo N.E.R.D. Skateboarding, comic books and Japanese cartoons are not the preferred pastimes of most hip-hop artists. But Lupe Fiasco is different. The Chi-town legend, at 23, has worked with Kanye West ('Touch the Sky'), gotten support from Jay-Z and co-founded his own imprint called 1st and 15th. His debut album is 'Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor.' The critically acclaimed group, N.E.R.D., which includes Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo (the award-winning production duo, the Neptunes) plus Shay Haley, hits the road to support 'N.3.R.D.,' their follow-up to 2004's 'Fly or Die.'