Kanye West hasn’t been an open book when it comes to his family life. Most of that information is kept private and is only revealed if and when it is needed. While it has been made clear Kanye was close to his mother, his father has also been in his life pretty consistently for the most part.
Ray West is currently in the news because TMZ revealed he is battling prostate cancer. Some reports have claimed stomach cancer was the diagnosis, but it appears that was only an assumption. Kanye West reportedly dropped everything to be by his dad’s side.
The relationship between Kanye West and his father, Ray West, has been amicable over the years. There have been a few songs that gave mention to his dad, but any other information about him has been learned through statements from Kanye.
Donda West and Ray West divorced when Kanye was just a toddler. He lived with his mom and saw his father during the summers. Through his songs, West revealed that his father wore many hats and often fell into get rich quick schemes.
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Most recently the father and son duo were seen having lunch in Malibu, something that was a rare occurrence. With the most recent news, Kanye West is likely going to be keeping a watchful eye on Ray West. After losing his mom a decade ago, things haven’t been the same for the rapper.
Not a lot is known about Ray West. He was a paparazzo at one point.
Photography has been a passion of his with him photographing Ronald Reagan and Maya Angelou. Ray West was one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Constitutional-Journal according to Bustle.
Aside from the career moves, Ray West was a Black Panther in the 1960s and ’70s. Kanye West has also mentioned his father was a Christian marriage counselor aside from the other hats he wore. This makes sense, especially given everything Kanye has done in his life aside from being a rapper.
There isn’t a lot known about Ray West, but the minimal details that have been shared shed light on who he really is and the relationship he has with Kanye West.