Part of West’s persona is attributed to his religious views. Although brought up in a Christian Household, his faith is not set in stone, and has changed as his career and personal life have developed.
From his early career up until 2013’s release of Yeezus, he has made many coflicting statements about his belief in God and Jesus.
In 2004, he released Jesus Walks, fully embracing his faith in Jesus Christ, which was met with universal critical acclaim. Jesus Walks was one of the first mainstream rap songs of the new millennium to honestly embrace religion. This track skyrocketed West to fame, giving an honest commentary on both Christianity and Hip Hop culture.
While he once claimed to be Christian, West’s relationship with God has complicated after the 2007 death of his mother Donda.
Many believe that during this period, he began to lose his faith, especially upon the release of 2011's Watch The Throne , which criticizes religion. During this vunerable period of loss, West became very close to rapper Jay-Z, who is against organised religion, and no doubt influenced his beliefs at the time.
"I believe in God, but I don't buy into any particular, specific religion. So maybe I'm nondenominational or whatever. I don't know what the definition of it is. I just believe in God. I would never say that it's in Jesus' hands." He told Vibe Magazine in 2009.
"I AM A GOD, EVEN THOUGH I'M A MAN OF GOD..."
Fast-forward to 2013, where Kanye West's religious views evolve further. The title of his latest album, Yeezus, a play on the name Jesus, features not only heavy social commentary on the struggle of black men in America, but also features an update on his religious beliefs, most notably in the controversial track I Am A God. West declares that he has become so influential that he is a modern god of sorts. While many see this declaration as sacreligious, it should be noted that, since becoming a father to North West and becoming engaged to Kim Kardashian, West has welcomed Christianity back into his life, wearing a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet to his interview with Kris Jenner. During this interview, West reflects on his spiritual journey of the past few years:
"After I lost my mother, I would sometimes put my life at risk. I felt I didn't have something to live for. Now I have two people to live for." Is Kanye a Christian rapper? Is Jesus Walks irrelevant after Watch the Throne? While those questions are up for debate, it can not be denied that the past decade has opened up the conversation about religion through Hip Hop
​"At this point, whether Kanye is a Christian Rapper is not what the focus needs to be, but rather the fact that one can bear witness, in a very clear way, the presence of Christianity within Hip Hop." (Price, 2012, p.40)
Kanye West confirms his Christian beliefs on Kris Jenner's new talk show, wishing to raise his new family with Christian values.