Happy birthday, Kanye West: The rapper's life in pictures

Before Yeezy, there was 'Louis Vuitton Don.' Yes, that's what he called himself. Sporting high-fashion backpacks in 2002, this was the era Kanye made his mark in mainstream music receiving album of the year honors from 'Rolling Stone' for his debut, 'The College Dropout.'

In 2005, we were all jamming out to 'Gold Digger' and don't think he didn't know it. He won three Grammys that year, in addition to occupying the top of the 'Billboard' Top 100 list for 10 weeks straight.

Kanye's music was so hot, he needed shades to shield himself from all that fire. 'Stronger' was born from Kanye's collaboration with Daft Punk during a time when he experimented with electronic beats, not to mention, those iconic shutter shades.

After losing his mom and spitting with fiancée Alexis Phifer, Kanye poured his heart out in melodic rap style. With auto-tuned rhymes, he bared his soul in chart-topping songs like 'Heartless' and 'Love Lockdown.'

Dabbling in the likes of style, design and fashion, Kanye showed off more than his vocal chords in 2011 when he debuted his 'dw' line at Paris Fashion Week.

Kanye raps, “I fell in love with Kim" on 'Cruel Summer,' a 2012 compilation album. This time also marked the beginning of his much-talked-about romance with the most famous Kardashian.

Kanye earned a new nickname with the release of his sixth album 'Yeezus' in 2013. Even though record sales weren't so hot at first, it marked Kanye's seventh platinum record.

After welcoming his first child, daughter North, in June 2013, 2014 was all about firming up Kanye's home life. He and Kim tied the knot May 14 in Florence, Italy.

'Kimye,' as the couple have long been called, aren't the kind of parents to shield their kids from the spotlight. Daughter North has been a frequent fixture with her parents at fashion shows and features in their social media accounts. Son Saint, born in December 2015, has yet to make his public debut.

2016 was a tumultuous year for the rapper. It started out on a high note with the release of a much-anticipated new album, 'The Life of Pablo' and a new fashion collection, both of which debuted in February.

Fall 2016 saw him embark on an eye-popping concert tour featuring a groundbreaking floating stage.

But on Oct. 3, Kanye had to leave a New York music festival mid-show after learning wife Kim Kardashian had been robbed in Paris.

Days later, he went on a rant about Beyoncé and Jay Z. Seeming to realize that his fans weren't taking to his words, West added, "I been sent here to give y'all my truth, even at the risk of my own life, my own success, my own career."

On Nov. 21, he abruptly canceled the remainder of his tour and reportedly sought treatment for exhaustion at UCLA Medical Center.

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 12: Kanye West is seen out in Manhattan on February 12, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 679872983 ORIG FILE ID: 635031696

The family expanded again in January 2018 when Chicago West, born by surrogate, joined her big sister, North, and brother, Saint.

In May, West was back to causing controversy. In an interview with TMZ, the rapper said slavery was "a choice." And in June, he released his eighth studio album, Ye."

In September, he announced he was moving back to Chicago, and he and son Saint threw out ceremonial first pitches at the Cubs versus White Sox game on Sept. 23. A week later, Kanye opened the new season of "Saturday Night Live," performing dressed as a bottle of Perrier and delivering a scathing post-show rant that included a MAGA hat and a call to repeal the 13th Amendment.

On Oct. 11, he joined his "brother" President Trump in the Oval Office to deliver a long soliloquy on "male energy," North Korea and his Superman cape. Trump called him, "A smart cookie."

West started his Sunday Service series in January of 2019. He performed during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21.

He performed his "Jesus Is King" album and film experience at The Forum on Oct. 23, 2019, in Inglewood, Calif.

West, designer Rick Owens and Kim Kardashian West attended Fashion Group International's 2019 Night of Stars at Cipriani Wall Street on Oct. 24, 2019, in New York City.

At the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on Jan. 19, 2020, West and his 100-member Sunday Service Choir performed along with West's pastor, Adam Tyson, at the annual Strength to Stand Youth Conference.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West attended the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9 in Beverly Hills, California.

The Vanity Fair Oscar Party was hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

At the 2020 NBA All Star Game at United Center in Chicago on Feb. 16.