original 808s and heartbreak album cover

On the song, he details the night of his horrific accident so the world could feel his pain, as well as determination to become the best rapper ever. Two weeks after the accident, Kanye was back in the studio recording what would be his debut single, ' Through the Wire,' the title of which refers to ’Ye rapping his lyrics through his wired jaw. 'It gave me perspective on life-that it was really now or 100 percent never.' 'But during that recovery period, I just spent all my time honing my craft and making The College Dropout,' he continued. 'I was a music producer, and everyone was telling me that I had no business becoming a rapper, so it gave me the opportunity to tell everyone, 'Hey, I need some time to recover.'' 'The accident gave me the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do,' he told Interview magazine in 2014.

Interestingly, despite his severe injuries, the accident inspired Kanye to switch gears from producer to being a full-fledged rapper. ’Ye was rushed to the hospital and had to undergo reconstructive surgery to have his mouth wired shut. Kanye suffered a broken jaw while the other driver had two of his legs broken. The Chicago producer fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car into an oncoming vehicle.

23, 2002, Kanye was involved in a near-fatal car accident after leaving a late-night session at a Los Angeles studio in California.

Kanye West's rollout for his classic 2004 debut album The College Dropout was a complete accident-literally.

Original 808s and heartbreak album cover