How Did Kanye West Break His Jaw?
/Kanye West's ascension to fame is marked by iconic moments, but one of the most important is mundane: a near-deadly car crash in 2002 that shattered his jaw. The crash altered not only his physical well-being, but also the sound of his music, professional path, and public persona for life. Here's what occurred and how in the subsequent months.
The Late-Night Car Crash In Los Angeles That Caused Kanye West’s Jaw To Break In Three Places
It was October 2002 when Kanye West was on his way home from a recording session at about 3 a.m. in Los Angeles after dozing off behind the wheel. His rented Lexus collided head-on with another car, and broke his jaw severely, which needed to be wired shut when he recovered. Accounts subsequently stated that Kanye's jaw was broken in three places. He was operated on to prepare for reconstructive surgery, with metal plates inserted to hold the bones together. The accident marked a turning point in his life, as it occurred at a time when he was transitioning from producer to rapper. Despite the injuries and bodily discomfort, he was back in the recording studio shortly after surgery, laying down what would become a very personal and now classic track.
Recording Through Pain While His Jaw Was Wired Shut Became Kanye’s First Step Into Rap Fame
The accident was the inspiration for one of Kanye's first singles, "Through the Wire." The reason the song is so great is that it was recorded with his jaw still wired closed, something rarely attempted in recording music because it is difficult to enunciate and control the vocals. The grittiness in his vocals gave emotion and reality to the song, which caught the attention of the fans and the industry professionals.
Through the Wire" was released in September 2003 as the lead single of his debut album The College Dropout, which was released in February 2004. The single peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and played an important part in the hype surrounding the album.
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Album Sales And Chart Rankings Showed Massive Growth After The Accident-Inspired Single
The events leading up to the accident worked in helping Kanye West not only become a talented producer, but a message rapper and one from a background. The College Dropout dropped at number two on the Billboard 200 and sold 441,000 copies in the initial week. The album subsequently sold more than 3.4 million copies in the United States alone by 2014, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Through the Wire" became Platinum certified by the RIAA and even gained Kanye a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. The desperation and determination that were displayed in that song made it one of the genre-defining albums of early 2000s hip-hop.
Public Praise And Media Coverage Highlighted Kanye West’s Determination To Keep Creating
The media and the record labels praised Kanye for his persistence. Fans and critics saw the accident as a gesture of truth in a society that is full of heroes. Vibe and Rolling Stone hailed Kanye for embracing trauma and converting it into music.
Despite what other people were projecting onto him about whether he could make the transition from recording to rap, "Through the Wire" allayed much of that doubt. The fact that he had been taping the song throughout this period of bodily agony helped place him as being at least somewhat credible as an artist who will put his life on the line for art.
Kanye’s Car Accident Became A Defining Moment That Continues To Shape His Music Career
The accident was not only a physical impact it was also a change in Kanye's narrative intent and authenticity in music. It was the inception of a theme he would go on to find inspiration from his own experience and the experience of others on a regular basis. From the discussion of emotional vulnerability revealed in "Through the Wire" and later on in albums such as 808s & Heartbreak, to creating a narrative cycle, the accident was a starting point for Kanye's narrative and music. Even now, more than 2 decades later, interviewers and fans alike will cite the accident as the inflection point of Kanye West's career. It was not just a car accident but a crash; it was the event that gave his voice a mainstream voice.
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