R&B and hip-hop hitmaker Kanye West will bring his “Glow in the Dark Tour” with special guests Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco to The Palace on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m.
In a span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Chicago native Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker. West got his start by doing production work during the late 1990s for other hip-hop artists including Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, Mase and Goodie Mob, but his production for Jay-Z earned him a major-label recording contract as a solo artist.
West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, which included the single “Through The Wire,” inspired by a near-fatal car accident in 2002. The album earned him 10 Grammy nominations in 2005 and won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song for “Jesus Walks” and a songwriter credit on “You Don’t Know My Name” for Best R&B Song, which was shared with Alicia Keys and Harold Lilly.
West’s second album, Late Registration was released in 2005 and spawned a series of hit singles including “Diamonds in Serra Leone,” “Gold Digger,” “Heard ‘Em Say” and “Touch the Sky.” The album also won a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Graduation (2007), West’s third album, reached number one and produced the hit singles “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Stronger.”
Another R&B sensation, Barbados native Rihanna debuted on the music scene in 2005 with her first album Music of the Sun, which peaked at number 10 on Billboard’s 200 Top-Selling Albums chart. The album includes hit singles “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” and “Pon de Replay,” which reached number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
A Girl Like Me (2006), Rihanna’s second album, reached number five on Billboard’s 200 Top-Selling Albums chart and includes two top ten singles “Unfaithful” and “Break It Off” as well as the hit single “S.O.S.”
Rihanna’s latest album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) peaked at number two on Billboard’s 200 Top-Selling Albums chart and includes the number one single “Umbrella.” Other hit singles include “Don’t Stop The Music” currently at number three on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and “Hate That I Love You,” a collaboration with Ne’Yo, which peaked at number seven.
N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies) is comprised of childhood friends Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams and Shay. The group released their debut album In Search Of … in the U.S. in 2002. Hit singles include “Lapdance” and “Rock Star.”
Fly or Die, the band’s sophomore album was released in 2004 and peaked at number six on Billboard’s 200 Top-Selling Albums chart and included the hit single “She Wants To Move.”
Chicago native Lupe Fiasco released his debut album Food & Liquor in 2005. The album earned Fiasco three Grammy nominations and reached number eight on Billboard’s 200 Top-Selling Albums chart. The follow up album The Cool was released in 2007.
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