Kanye West‘s ex-fiancée Alexis Phifer has unearthed the original sketches of the rapper’s iconic “dropout bear.”
On Saturday (February 10), which marked the twentieth anniversary of West’s debut album The College Dropout, Phifer shared the drawings on social media whereas providing some first-hand backstory.
“One evening in 2004, Kanye was putting together all the creative ideas for his College Dropout album,” wrote clothier Phifer, who dated the Chicago native between 2002 and 2008.
“He had this idea of making the bear his mascot for the project. With Ralph Lauren being a huge inspiration for him as a creative, he fashioned his mascot bear similar to the RL bear.”
She continued: “With the record label asking him for the ideas he had in mind, Kanye started to sketch out his vision that evening at my house. First he started with the heads, the then body, then the belt.
“After he was done and pleased with what he had, he faxed the sketches the next day to the record label. After faxing his final idea, he was about to throw the sketches away! That’s when I asked if I could keep the art work instead.”
“In the 5 sketches you see the development of the ideas of the bear which eventually landed on the cover of the College Dropout album which is a hip hop classic,” she concluded. “It was the beginning of what would mark one of the most influential rapper’s life and legacy.”
Kanye West’s ex-fiancé shares authentic “College Dropout” bear sketches 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DDAwahLpyg
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) February 12, 2024
In associated information, Kanye West‘s daughter North recently flexed her own artistic talents with an impressive sketch of her father.
Last month, Ty Dolla $ign posted a photo carousel on Instagram showcasing the three covers for his collaborative album with Ye, Vultures.
Among the collection of photos was a hand-drawn portrait of the duo courtesy of 10-year-old North. The sketch showed Kanye wearing a Vultures t-shirt and sporting a “¥$” tattoo on his right arm, while Ty Dolla could be seen with matching ink on his cheek.
“Last slide by Ms Ms Westy!” the R&B singer wrote in the caption, referencing Ye’s daughter’s verse on their album.
Kanye West Dropout Bear Designer Gets Thanks From Kim Kardashian For Gifting Rare Merch
The sketch served as additional proof that expertise runs within the West household, with Kanye himself displaying creative prowess throughout his youthful years.
As a teen, the Yeezy mogul acquired a scholarship to Chicago’s American Academy of Art, the place he sharpened his craft as a positive arts scholar. (He later transferred to Chicago State University to review English earlier than famously dropping out.)
In 2020, a few of Kanye’s early drawings appeared in an episode of PBS’ Antiques Roadshow after one of many rapper’s cousins got here into possession of the gathering following the demise of his mom Donda West.
The assortment of work and drawings was valued between $16,000 and $32,000, with appraiser Laura Woolley saying: “I think these pieces demonstrate an extraordinary facility as an artist.”
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