Kanye West

“Glow in the Dark Tour” set to Illuminate the Erwin Center!

Partnered up with an all-star lineup that is sure to impress, Kanye West brings his “Glow in the Dark Tour” to Austin on April 30! Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, and N.E.R.D are set to help the bold rapper give the fans at the Frank Erwin Center a whole new level of entertainment. You can’t go wrong with a hot combination like this!

Kanye West was initially an unlikely sensation in the hip-hop world. Inspired by Run D.M.C., like many others before him, West began as just another aspiring rapper with a passion for hip-hop. The world would soon come to know this rapper’s name and his award-winning talent for beat-making. This talent is what got his foot in the industry door. Though he did quite a bit of noteworthy production work during the late 1990s for hit artists like Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, and Mase, it was his work for Roc-a-Fella in the early 2000s that took his career up a level. He consistently delivered hot tracks album after album. His big break was with Jay-Z’s album in 2001, Blueprint, with smash hits like “Takeover” and “Izzo (H.O.V.A.).” Both songs were instant hits and publicly reflected Kanye’s signature beat-making style.

West continued to produce, and soon enough the word was out that he was scheduling an album release of his own, which he would both rap on and produce. Unfortunately, the album release was delayed. In the midst of the album’s creation in October of 2002, West was in a serious car accident that threatened the rapper’s life. This traumatic experience was not enough to hold the strong willed rapper down and came to be the inspiration for what would later become the lead single for his long awaited debut album, The College Dropout. The single was appropriately titled “Through the Wire,” since West recorded it while his mouth was wired shut. It hit the airwaves in 2003 and sampled from Chaka Kahn’s 1985 single, “Through the Fire.”

Even throughout the album’s delay, West still produced big hits for well-known names such as Ludacris with “Stand Up,” Jay-Z with “Bonnie & Clyde,” and soulful R&B singer Alicia Keys with “You Don’t Know My Name.” Along with the popularity of “Through the Wire,” another song began getting play at the end of 2003. Titled “Slow Jamz,” this hit was a collaboration with Twista and comedian/actor Jamie Foxx. Like many of West’s songs, this one was driven by a sample based hook, making it widely recognizable, in this case by Luther Vandross’ “A House Is Not a Home.”

In 2005, at the 47th annual Grammy Awards, West walked away with the award for Best Rap Song for “Jesus Walks,” The College Dropout won the Best Rap Album award, and a songwriting credit on “You Don’t Know My Name” for Best R&B Song award was shared with Alicia Keys and Harold Lilly. West was on fire, but did not stop there. He then released his second solo album, Late Registration. The album was full of popular hits like “Diamonds in Sierra Leone,” “Touch the Sky,” and “Heard ‘Em Say,” which features Maroon 5’s front man, Adam Levine. The most recognized song from the album was the smash single “Gold Digger,” which features Jamie Foxx. This chart-topping hit was an instant fan favorite. The album allowed West to take home a Grammy for Album of the Year. West is also the founder of his label, GOOD Music (“Getting Out Our Dreams”), in conjunction with Sony BMG. The label’s releases include John Legend’s Get Lifted and Common’s Be.

West’s most recent album, Graduation, dropped on September 11, 2007. At the 50th annual Grammy Awards, he gained much recognition for the album, winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for the album’s single “Stronger,” and best Rap Song for “Good Life.”

Touring guest Rihanna first broke through the scene in 2005 with her hit “Pon de Replay,” which made her a hot new star. With albums like Music of the Sun in 2005 and A Girl Like Me in 2006, this Barbados native established herself as a true artist. She then decided to take it up a notch. In two short years, Rihanna has redefined herself and matured with Good Girl Gone Bad. The album’s hit “Umbrella” is undeniably engaging. The twelve songs on Good Girl Gone Bad are all cutting edge material that put Rihanna in a different league than the other divas on the block. She recently won a Grammy for “Umbrella” at the 50th annual Grammy Awards. There’s no doubt that this “Good Girl Gone Bad” has shown that she is more than capable to hold her own on this tour full of male superstars.

Speaking of superstars, Lupe Fiasco will be another contribution to the “Glow in the Dark Tour.” Currently getting airplay for his hit single, “Superstar,” Fiasco was originally exposed through Kanye West’s hit, “Touch the Sky,” where he delivered a show-stopping verse. The buzz gained from that song transitioned the gumshoe rapper into his first official solo single, the skateboard-meets-rap “Kick Push,” which appeared on his debut album titled Food and Liquor. His second and most recent album, The Cool, released last December, debuted at No. 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and showcases hits like “Dumb It Down” and “Superstar.”

Another appropriately chosen addition to the bill is N.E.R.D, the offspring of the well known production team, The Neptunes. Their music is best described as funk-rock, with various other influences, including soul music and hip-hop. N.E.R.D consists of Pharrel Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley. The clever acronym stands for “No one Ever Really Dies,” which reflects the band’s belief that people’s energies are made of their souls and that the energy can never be destroyed. The trio feels their “chemistry allows the uninhibited exploration of the sounds, emotions and impulses of self and society, of identity and belonging. Of life.” Their most recent album, Fly or Die, features the hit single “She Wants to Move.”

Kanye West has recruited the help of choreographer/director Jamie King to make the tour an explosive one. King has worked with Madonna, Prince, Shakira, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey and served as director for Christina Aguilera’s “Back to Basics Tour.” West publicized the tour’s name on MTV as early as May of last year. “My new tour is called the Glow in the Dark Tour — and I wanted to say it on MTV so no one would be able to take it, and it’s documented I said it,” West said. Mission accomplished: The tour kicks off this month on April 16! This electrifying tour is a must-see so get your tickets now!