"My greatest award is what I'm about to do. I'm always thinking about the future."

• Born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia

• Kanye West made a breakthrough with his No. 2 album, The College Dropout, in 2004. His follow-up 2005 album, the chart-topping Late Registration, earned him his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit with "Gold Digger."

• West earned his first career GRAMMYs for 2004 for Best Rap Album (The College Dropout), Best Rap Song ("Jesus Walks") and Best R&B Song ("You Don't Know My Name"). He made his GRAMMY stage debut at the 47th GRAMMYs, performing "Jesus Walks."

• With 21 GRAMMYs, West is one of the top GRAMMY winners in history, and is tied with Jay Z as the highest-decorated hip-hop artist.

• West spoke to students in Blue Island, Illinois, about careers in the music industry during a GRAMMY U SoundChecks installment in 2004.