Celebrity is a subjective state of wide public recognition and popularity of a person or group due to the sustained interest given to them by wide-ranging media. In this regard, the concept of celebrity has transcended across all boundaries of society. Today, people from different walks of life – students, professionals, politicians, actors, and actresses – have been tagged as ‘celebrities’. It was in 1986, following the release of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, that his image became synonymous with a new generation of Americans. This was also the decade in which the term celebrity began to be broadly used in daily conversation.
The term celebrity is typically used when people refer to famous or notable personalities. However, since the dawn of TV and film celebrities have been used to depict anything from sports stars to political figures. With the passage of time, the usage of celebrity as a generic term has also widened to include members of the Hollywood entertainment industry such as actors and actresses, musicians, and models. The use of celebrity as a term has become more entrenched in the culture. While some people still reserve the use of celebrity to describe an athlete, singer, or a movie star, most other people use the term with reference to any person who has achieved an iconic status in their respective fields.
Some popularly known celebrities are Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Britney Spears among others. In this modern era, almost all popular celebrities are product endorsers and are identified with a particular brand, which is often endorsed or marketed by a company that owns a stake in that celebrity’s personal enterprise. For example, whenever we hear about an actor or actress who is endorsing a particular brand of potato chips or wears a particular watch, this is usually deemed to be a product endorsement or marketing campaign of that particular actor or actress.
One such well-known celebrity, in the music industry, is the hip-hop artist Kanye West. He has become well-known for his solo work as well as his collaboration with the artist Jay Z. West is one of the most controversial celebrities of our times. For instance, he once appeared on MTV’s reality series Made In America wearing clothing that was considered to be highly suggestive of his sexuality. His clothing choice generated a lot of controversy as the company that manufactured the attire, Kookies, was owned by Def Jam Record Company, one of the most powerful recording labels in the industry.
One of the most popular TV shows of late, The Oprah Winfrey Show, features an artist from the hip-hop world, Kanye West. Unlike many artists, who are seen as celebrities because they have a huge number of followers on the social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, West is an artist who has gained a devoted following on the internet because of his unique approach to his music. He has been quoted as saying that the creation of his own music has been therapeutic. While many artists feel that they are merely entertainers, West has presented himself as a musician who can also create music that is meaningful to others. For this reason, West has won four Grammys, including Best Rap Album, Best Rapper, Best Songwriters, and Best Original Song.
Kanye West may not be a household name like Madonna or J.Lo, but he is certainly a talented performer who is respected throughout the world for his unique style of music. Kanye West trivia will show that this versatile artist achieved success before he was even in his teens. His impressive list of Grammys and all Hip-Hop Artist of the Year accolades only reinforce the fact that he is a bona fide star today.