Through the Wire

Graphite/Ink/Acrylic/Digital on Smooth Bristol 10" x 10"

I've been wanting to do a Kanye piece since hearing My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, one of the best albums of 2010. I wanted to reference his car accident back in 2002 which resulted in his jaw being shattered and leaving Kanye close to death. After two weeks of being in the hospital, he bounced back and recorded Through The Wire with a painfully wired jaw. Here is a quote of his that I stumbled upon not too long after the accident:

Well, the only thing this accident's is saying is, "I am about to hand you the world, just know at any given time I can take it away from you." To nearly lose your life, to nearly lose your mouth, your voice, your whole face, as a rapper...and I had to be on TV! My face looks crazy to me now... But I have to just thank God for the situation that I am in... "Through The Wire" is the worst thing that could've possibly happen to me, and now it's obviously the best thing. Look how it exploded!

Inspired by his quote, I literally cut out the shape of his jaw, and inserted an MPC, the drum machine that Mr. West uses to compose his music. A face shattered to pieces was reconstructed and gave the masses amazing music.