The best rappers cast themselves as fully realized literary figures with complex motivations, believable personality traits, distinct flaws and a dramatic narrative arc. This decade, no character was more realized and no arc was more dramatic than Kanye West's.
From the beginning, West was a more interesting variation of one of rap's most familiar archetypes: the rapper with something to prove. His 2004 debut, The College Dropout, documented his attempts to reinvent himself from sought-after producer to marquee rapper, and the setback that almost prevented him from doing so: a 2002 car accident that shattered his jaw.
The near-death encounter was followed by a symbolic re-birth. ""I think I died in that accident because this must be heaven,"" West marveled on his ambitious follow-up album, Late Registration, which found him enjoying the fruits of his newfound celebrity while battling lingering insecurities. Even better was 2007's Graduation. The final installment in West's rags-to-riches trilogy, it's the most genuinely uplifting rap album of the decade, with every song celebrating achievement, self-confidence, homecoming, reconciliation or general good times.
In hindsight, it should have been obvious a storm was approaching. It arrived in the form of a nasty breakup and the sudden death of West's mother, both of which informed his desolate 2008 album, 808s and Heartbreak, which turned out to be his most visionary yet. The record did away with the very foundation of rap music—the rap—to explore moods, textures and motifs almost utterly foreign to the genre, and although it divided fans and critics with its stark sonic template, it was another blockbuster for West.
West's legacy extends beyond just his remarkable four-album character study of himself. As the most trendsetting rap artist of the decade, West shaped the genre for the better, first with his bright, visceral production, which turned hits for Jay-Z and Talib Kweli, and then with his own star power, which he used to sire other deserving stars. He released John Legend's glorious debut album, gave Lupe Fiasco his first big break, revived Common's career, introduced the world to Kid Cudi, turned Kid Sister's ""Pro Nails"" into a hit just because he really loved the song and made a good-faith effort to break Consequence (turns out it can't be done). West has done more this decade than any other musician to introduce the world to great new music—his own included.
West's biggest gift to rap music, though, may be his brazen disregard for the genre's conventions, restrictions and taboos. He divorced himself from traditional hip-hop fashion, rapped about Jesus, defended gay rights, turned rappers on to Peter, Bjorn and John, and made a whole album with Auto-Tune at a time when the device was falling out of favor. By being so defiantly iconoclastic this decade, West laid the groundwork for tomorrow's rappers to follow whatever whim they like. Nothing is off the table now, thanks to Kanye West.
