romikgosai/squad_modified_2 huggingface dataset:
Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents divorced when he was three and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray West was later a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland with startup capital from his son. West's mother, Dr. Donda C. (Williams) West, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as his manager. West was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.

Q1: What subject did Kanye's mother teach at her university?
A1: English
Q2: What Georgia city was Kanye West born?
A2: Atlanta
Q3: What was the name of the business that Kanye West helped fund in 2006?
A3: Good Water Store and Café
Q4: Where did Kanye West's mother work before becoming his manager?
A4: Chicago State University
Q5: What was the name of Kanye West's high school?
A5: Polaris High School
At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, where she was teaching at Nanjing University as part of an exchange program. According to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most of it. When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, "I got A's and B's. And I'm not even frontin'."

Q1: Where did Kanye and his mother relocate when he was 10?
A1: Nanjing, China
Q2: While staying in China, Kanye was the only what in his class?
A2: foreigner
Q3: How well did Kanye do in high school?
A3: A's and B's
Q4: At what age did Kanye West relocate to China?
A4: 10
Q5: What University was the cause of West's mother moving the family to China?
A5: Nanjing University
West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age; he began writing poetry when he was five years old. His mother recalled that she first took notice of West's passion for drawing and music when he was in the third grade. Growing up in the city,[which?] West became deeply involved in its hip hop scene. He started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists. At age thirteen, West wrote a rap song called "Green Eggs and Ham" and began to persuade his mother to pay $25 an hour for time in a recording studio. It was a small, crude basement studio where a microphone hung from the ceiling by a wire clothes hanger. Although this wasn't what West's mother wanted, she nonetheless supported him. West crossed paths with producer/DJ No I.D., with whom he quickly formed a close friendship. No I.D. soon became West's mentor, and it was from him that West learned how to sample and program beats after he received his first sampler at age 15.

Q1: What was Kanye creating when he was five?
A1: poetry
Q2: What was one of the first tracks written by Kanye when he was 13?
A2: "Green Eggs and Ham"
Q3: Who did Kanye meet early in his career who later mentored him?
A3: DJ No I.D.
Q4: What activity did Kanye West start doing when he was five?
A4: writing poetry
Q5: What was the name of the song he wrote at age thirteen?
A5: Green Eggs and Ham
Q6: What was the name of the producer that helped Kanye West?
A6: No I.D.
After graduating from high school, West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes, but shortly after transferred to Chicago State University to study English. He soon realized that his busy class schedule was detrimental to his musical work, and at 20 he dropped out of college to pursue his musical dreams. This action greatly displeased his mother, who was also a professor at the university. She later commented, "It was drummed into my head that college is the ticket to a good life... but some career goals don't require college. For Kanye to make an album called College Dropout it was more about having the guts to embrace who you are, rather than following the path society has carved out for you."

Q1: Where did Kanye receive a scholarship to attend?
A1: American Academy of Art
Q2: How old was Kanye when he dropped out of college?
A2: 20
Q3: What school did Kanye West go to in 1997?
A3: Chicago's American Academy of Art
Q4: What subject was Kanye West's focus at Chicago State University?
A4: English
Q5: At what age did Kanye West leave school to follow his musical passion?
A5: 20
Q6: What was the name of the CD that Kanye recorded based on his failed college experience?
A6: College Dropout
Kanye West began his early production career in the mid-1990s, making beats primarily for burgeoning local artists, eventually developing a style that involved speeding up vocal samples from classic soul records. His first official production credits came at the age of nineteen when he produced eight tracks on Down to Earth, the 1996 debut album of a Chicago rapper named Grav. For a time, West acted as a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. Because of his association with D-Dot, West wasn't able to release a solo album, so he formed and became a member and producer of the Go-Getters, a late-1990s Chicago rap group composed of him, GLC, Timmy G, Really Doe, and Arrowstar. His group was managed by John "Monopoly" Johnson, Don Crowley, and Happy Lewis under the management firm Hustle Period. After attending a series of promotional photo shoots and making some radio appearances, The Go-Getters released their first and only studio album World Record Holders in 1999. The album featured other Chicago-based rappers such as Rhymefest, Mikkey Halsted, Miss Criss, and Shayla G. Meanwhile, the production was handled by West, Arrowstar, Boogz, and Brian "All Day" Miller.

Q1: Who were the beats Kanye made in the 90's originally intended for?
A1: local artists
Q2: What types of records did Kanye sample in his early career.
A2: classic soul records
Q3: What music group did Kanye join when he couldn't release his solo album?
A3: Go-Getters
Q4: In what time period did Kanye begin producing?
A4: mid-1990s
Q5: When did Kanye West start his production career?
A5: mid-1990s
Q6: For which artist did Kanye West act as a ghost producer?
A6: Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie
Q7: What late 1990s Chicago rap group was Kanye West a member of?
A7: Go-Getters
Q8: What firm managed Kanye West's rap group?
A8: Hustle Period
Q9: What year was the first Go-Getters album released?
A9: 1999
West spent much of the late-1990s producing records for a number of well-known artists and music groups. The third song on Foxy Brown's second studio album Chyna Doll was produced by West. Her second effort subsequently became the very first hip-hop album by a female rapper to debut at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in its first week of release. West produced three of the tracks on Harlem World's first and only album The Movement alongside Jermaine Dupri and the production duo Trackmasters. His songs featured rappers Nas, Drag-On, and R&B singer Carl Thomas. The ninth track from World Party, the last Goodie Mob album to feature the rap group's four founding members prior to their break-up, was co-produced by West with his manager Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. At the close of the millennium, West ended up producing six songs for Tell 'Em Why U Madd, an album that was released by D-Dot under the alias of The Madd Rapper; a fictional character he created for a skit on The Notorious B.I.G.'s second and final studio album Life After Death. West's songs featured guest appearances from rappers such as Ma$e, Raekwon, and Eminem.

Q1: Kanye produced the third song from the second album of what artist?
A1: Foxy Brown
Q2: What rappers were featured in the songs that Kanye produced for Tell 'Em Why U Madd?
A2: Ma$e, Raekwon, and Eminem.
Q3: Which U.S. Billboard 200 chart topper did Kanye West produce a song for?
A3: Foxy Brown
Q4: What was the name of the CD produced by Kanye that was by a made-up character?
A4: Tell 'Em Why U Madd
West got his big break in the year 2000, when he began to produce for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records. West came to achieve recognition and is often credited with revitalizing Jay-Z's career with his contributions to the rap mogul's influential 2001 album The Blueprint. The Blueprint is consistently ranked among the greatest hip-hop albums, and the critical and financial success of the album generated substantial interest in West as a producer. Serving as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, West produced records for other artists from the label, including Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Cam'ron. He also crafted hit songs for Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson.

Q1: What label did Kanye begin to work for in 2000?
A1: Roc-A-Fella Records
Q2: What album did Kanye receive production credits on in 2001?
A2: The Blueprint
Q3: In what year did Roc-A-Fella make Kanye West known?
A3: 2000
Q4: What was the name of the CD West produced for Jay Z in 2001?
A4: The Blueprint
Despite his success as a producer, West's true aspiration was to be a rapper. Though he had developed his rapping long before he began producing, it was often a challenge for West to be accepted as a rapper, and he struggled to attain a record deal. Multiple record companies ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent in mainstream hip hop at the time. After a series of meetings with Capitol Records, West was ultimately denied an artist deal.

Q1: Although Kanye was achieving fame by producing, what did he actually want to be?
A1: rapper
Q2: What label declined to work with Kanye after many meetings?
A2: Capitol Records
Q3: What career was Kanye's ultimate dream?
A3: rapper
Q4: What did Kanye West not have that made record companies turn him down?
A4: gangsta image
Q5: Which record company turned Kanye down after many meetings?
A5: Capitol Records
According to Capitol Record's A&R, Joe Weinberger, he was approached by West and almost signed a deal with him, but another person in the company convinced Capitol's president not to. Desperate to keep West from defecting to another label, then-label head Damon Dash reluctantly signed West to Roc-A-Fella Records. Jay-Z later admitted that Roc-A-Fella was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that many saw him as a producer first and foremost, and that his background contrasted with that of his labelmates.

Q1: Who almost picked up Kanye but was ultimately swayed?
A1: Joe Weinberger
Q2: What label finally (although reluctantly) picked up Kanye?
A2: Roc-A-Fella
Q3: What did Kanye's peers see him as while he tried to pursue his rap career?
A3: a producer
Q4: What man was almost ready to give Kanye a record deal?
A4: Joe Weinberger
Q5: What record company eventually signed Kanye West?
A5: Roc-A-Fella
West's breakthrough came a year later on October 23, 2002, when, while driving home from a California recording studio after working late, he fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in a near-fatal car crash. The crash left him with a shattered jaw, which had to be wired shut in reconstructive surgery. The accident inspired West; two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, he recorded a song at the Record Plant Studios with his jaw still wired shut. The composition, "Through The Wire", expressed West's experience after the accident, and helped lay the foundation for his debut album, as according to West "all the better artists have expressed what they were going through". West added that "the album was my medicine", as working on the record distracted him from the pain. "Through The Wire" was first available on West's Get Well Soon... mixtape, released December 2002. At the same time, West announced that he was working on an album called The College Dropout, whose overall theme was to "make your own decisions. Don't let society tell you, 'This is what you have to do.'"

Q1: What track did Kanye compose and perform while injured from his accident?
A1: Through The Wire
Q2: What was the name of Kanye's 2002 mixtape that he wrote while in the hospital?
A2: Get Well Soon...
Q3: After dropping his mixtape, Kanye revealed the name of his debut album to be what?
A3: The College Dropout
Q4: What was the date of Kanye's car wreck?
A4: October 23, 2002
Q5: What song did Kanye record about his experience with what happened after the wreck?
A5: "Through The Wire"
Q6: What was the name of the mixtape Kanye released in December of 2002?
A6: Get Well Soon
Carrying a Louis Vuitton backpack filled with old disks and demos to the studio and back, West crafted much of his production for his debut album in less than fifteen minutes at a time. He recorded the remainder of the album in Los Angeles while recovering from the car accident. Once he had completed the album, it was leaked months before its release date. However, West decided to use the opportunity to review the album, and The College Dropout was significantly remixed, remastered, and revised before being released. As a result, certain tracks originally destined for the album were subsequently retracted, among them "Keep the Receipt" with Ol' Dirty Bastard and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" with Consequence. West meticulously refined the production, adding string arrangements, gospel choirs, improved drum programming and new verses. West's perfectionism led The College Dropout to have its release postponed three times from its initial date in August 2003.

Q1: What happened to Kanye's debut album that caused him to remaster most of it?
A1: it was leaked
Q2: How many times was the release date for Kanye's first album pushed back?
A2: 3
Q3: In what city did West finish recording his first album?
A3: Los Angeles
Q4: How many times was The College Dropout's release put off?
A4: 3
Q5: What was supposed to be the original release date for The College Dropout?
A5: August 2003
The College Dropout was eventually issued by Roc-A-Fella in February 2004, shooting to number two on the Billboard 200 as his debut single, "Through the Wire" peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks. "Slow Jamz", his second single featuring Twista and Jamie Foxx, became an even bigger success: it became the three musicians' first number one hit. The College Dropout received near-universal critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, was voted the top album of the year by two major music publications, and has consistently been ranked among the great hip-hop works and debut albums by artists. "Jesus Walks", the album's fourth single, perhaps exposed West to a wider audience; the song's subject matter concerns faith and Christianity. The song nevertheless reached the top 20 of the Billboard pop charts, despite industry executives' predictions that a song containing such blatant declarations of faith would never make it to radio. The College Dropout would eventually be certified triple platinum in the US, and garnered West 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and Best Rap Album (which it received). During this period, West also founded GOOD Music, a record label and management company that would go on to house affiliate artists and producers, such as No I.D. and John Legend. At the time, the focal point of West's production style was the use of sped-up vocal samples from soul records. However, partly because of the acclaim of The College Dropout, such sampling had been much copied by others; with that overuse, and also because West felt he had become too dependent on the technique, he decided to find a new sound.

Q1: What place on the Billboard chart did Kanye's album debut at?
A1: 2
Q2: How many publications voted The College Dropout for album of the year?
A2: 2
Q3: What was the name of the single off the debut album that gave Kanye mainstream attention?
A3: Jesus Walks
Q4: What label did Kanye create following the success of his first album's release?
A4: GOOD Music
Q5: When was The College Dropout finally released?
A5: February 2004
Q6: What song was the second released off of Kanye's The College Dropout album?
A6: "Slow Jamz"
Q7: How many Grammy nominations did The College Dropout receive?
A7: 10
Q8: What was the name of the record label that West founded?
A8: GOOD Music
Beginning his second effort that fall, West would invest two million dollars and take over a year to craft his second album. West was significantly inspired by Roseland NYC Live, a 1998 live album by English trip hop group Portishead, produced with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Early in his career, the live album had inspired him to incorporate string arrangements into his hip-hop production. Though West had not been able to afford many live instruments around the time of his debut album, the money from his commercial success enabled him to hire a string orchestra for his second album Late Registration. West collaborated with American film score composer Jon Brion, who served as the album's co-executive producer for several tracks. Although Brion had no prior experience in creating hip-hop records, he and West found that they could productively work together after their first afternoon in the studio where they discovered that neither confined his musical knowledge and vision to one specific genre. Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in the United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major album release of the fall season, which had been plagued by steadily declining CD sales.

Q1: What kind of ensemble did Kanye hire to work on his second album?
A1: string orchestra
Q2: What composer worked alongside Kanye on the album's production?
A2: Jon Brion
Q3: What was the name of Kanye's second studio album?
A3: Late Registration
Q4: How many copies of Late Registration sold in its first year?
A4: 2.3 million
Q5: What English music group was an inspiration for Kanye West on his second album?
A5: Portishead
Q6: What was the name of West's second album?
A6: Late Registration
Q7: How many copies of Late Registration were sold in the United States?
A7: 2.3 million
While West had encountered controversy a year prior when he stormed out of the American Music Awards of 2004 after losing Best New Artist, the rapper's first large-scale controversy came just days following Late Registration's release, during a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims. In September 2005, NBC broadcast A Concert for Hurricane Relief, and West was a featured speaker. When West was presenting alongside actor Mike Myers, he deviated from the prepared script. Myers spoke next and continued to read the script. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." West's comment reached much of the United States, leading to mixed reactions; President Bush would later call it one of the most "disgusting moments" of his presidency. West raised further controversy in January 2006 when he posed on the cover of Rolling Stone wearing a crown of thorns.

Q1: The loss of which award caused Kanye to leave the American Music Awards?
A1: Best New Artist
Q2: Kanye participated alongside Mike Meyers in a relief benefit show for what natural disaster?
A2: Hurricane Katrina
Q3: What magazine did Kanye don a thorn crown for the cover of in 2006?
A3: Rolling Stone
Q4: In which AMA category did Kanye lose in 2004?
A4: Best New Artist
Q5: Which actor was alongside Kanye West when he insulted President Bush?
A5: Mike Myers
Q6: What magazine did Kanye West pose for in 2006 that caused another controversy?
A6: Rolling Stone
Q7: What broadcast for NBC was Kanye presenting for when he spoke negatively about President Bush?
A7: A Concert for Hurricane Relief
Fresh off spending the previous year touring the world with U2 on their Vertigo Tour, West felt inspired to compose anthemic rap songs that could operate more efficiently in large arenas. To this end, West incorporated the synthesizer into his hip-hop production, utilized slower tempos, and experimented with electronic music and influenced by music of the 1980s. In addition to U2, West drew musical inspiration from arena rock bands such as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in terms of melody and chord progression. To make his next effort, the third in a planned tetralogy of education-themed studio albums, more introspective and personal in lyricism, West listened to folk and country singer-songwriters Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash in hopes of developing methods to augment his wordplay and storytelling ability.

Q1: What band did Kanye tour with for a year?
A1: U2
Q2: What setting did Kanye want his next tracks to perform well in?
A2: large arenas
Q3: Who did Kanye study in order to develop his lyrical skills?
A3: Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash
Q4: Which band did Kanye West travel with for the Vertigo Tour?
A4: U2
Q5: What decade of music inspired Kanye West after his tour with U2?
A5: 1980s
Q6: Other than U2 and Led Zeppelin, what other band inspired Kanye West?
A6: The Rolling Stones
Q7: What other country singer besides Johnny Cash did Kanye listen to?
A7: Bob Dylan
West's third studio album, Graduation, garnered major publicity when its release date pitted West in a sales competition against rapper 50 Cent's Curtis. Upon their September 2007 releases, Graduation outsold Curtis by a large margin, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in its first week. Graduation once again continued the string of critical and commercial successes by West, and the album's lead single, "Stronger", garnered the rapper his third number-one hit. "Stronger", which samples French house duo Daft Punk, has been accredited to not only encouraging other hip-hop artists to incorporate house and electronica elements into their music, but also for playing a part in the revival of disco and electro-infused music in the late 2000s. Ben Detrick of XXL cited the outcome of the sales competition between 50 Cent's Curtis and West's Graduation as being responsible for altering the direction of hip-hop and paving the way for new rappers who didn't follow the hardcore-gangster mold, writing, "If there was ever a watershed moment to indicate hip-hop's changing direction, it may have come when 50 Cent competed with Kanye in 2007 to see whose album would claim superior sales."

Q1: What was the name of Kanye's third album?
A1: Graduation
Q2: Kanye released Graduation at the same time of what other famous rapper, thus drawing media comparison?
A2: 50 Cent
Q3: How many copies did Graduation sell in its first week of release?
A3: 957,000
Q4: What famous electronic duo did Kanye sample on his third album?
A4: Daft Punk
Q5: What was the name of Kanye West's third CD?
A5: Graduation
Q6: What artist was Kanye's third album release competing against?
A6: 50 Cent
Q7: What music group was in Kanye's first release off of Graduation?
A7: Daft Punk