Kanye West on top of the world

Kanye West will perform November 15, 2005, at the SIU Arena. Tickets will go on sale 10am, Friday, September 30. Tickets are $45, $40, and $35. Order tickets through Ticketmaster at 866-646-8849, www.ticketmaster.com/siuarena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS

NEW YORK, NY - Kanye West is on top of the world. Last week, his brilliant new album Late Registration debuted at #1 to the tune of 860,000 copies sold. This week, Late's second single, "Gold Digger," sits atop the Billboard Hot 100, Kanye's first #1 since last year's "Slow Jamz."

Now, on the crest of this unprecedented success, Kanye is gearing up to head out on the road this fall for a extensive headlining tour of arenas and theaters nationwide. Presented by Verizon and featuring special guests Fantasia, Keyshia Cole and Common, the "Touch The Sky" Tour will kick off on Tuesday, October 11 in Miami, Florida. The tour will then wind its way up and down the East Coast through October, head through the Midwest and Southwest in November, and wrap up on the West Coast in early December.

2004 saw Kanye anointed as one of hip-hop's elite: Nominated for an astounding 10 Grammys for his groundbreaking, multi-platinum Roc-A-Fella debut, The College Dropout, West took home three - including Best Rap Song for his anthem "Jesus Walks" - and stole the show with an incredible performance.

In 2005, West's star has truly risen: With unanimous, deafening critical acclaim - including the coveted 5 Stars in Rolling Stone - Late Registration arrived just a week after Time Magazine dubbed him "the smartest man in pop music" on its historic cover. "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx, became an instant smash, rocketing to the top of the radio, video and digital charts. A show-stopping performance at the 2005 VMAs was followed by performances on Good Morning America, Oprah, Ellen and the NFL 2005 Kickoff special. Late Registration became the biggest first-week debut in Def Jam Recordings' illustrious history.

"Performing live is the reason why we make this music, spend so much time and thought and craft on it," says Kanye. "It's never been about the critics or the album sales. It's about the fans, and I love having the opportunity to bring this music - that I've poured my heart and soul into - to them. I think about how audiences are going to respond to hooks and intros and certain lines when I'm in the studio recording. Bringing these songs to the stage is the ultimate fulfillment of the creative process."

Kanye is joined on the Touch The Sky Tour by longtime friend and collaborator Common, who turned to West to produce his acclaimed and best-selling album to date, Be. The two will be supported by former American Idol winner and platinum recording artist Fantasia along with hot, young R&B siren Keyshia Cole.

On the web:
www.kanyewest.com
www.rocafella.com