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23 Years Ago Today, Kanye West Rapped With His Jaw Shut After Horrific Car Accident and Became a Rap Superstar

On this day 23 years ago, Kanye West released “Through The Wire” as the first single for his star-making album ‘College Dropout’.

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Kanye West wanted to be the biggest artist in hip-hop so bad in 2002. By that point, he was the resident producer for all artists on Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam, lacing artists with astounding soul-sampled beats. He could’ve just been content being the in-demand producer of the moment like Timbaland and The Neptunes.

But Ye always wanted more. He wanted to rap. He wanted to be where artists like Jay-Z were. So he tirelessly made those five beats a day for three summers and saved some of the best work for himself. One night on October 23rd, 2002, Ye finished a night of making beats for different artists in Los Angeles. Then, while driving his rented Lexus, he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed with another vehicle, nearly killing both of them.

Afterward, he had his jaw wired shut after reconstructive surgery. However, Kanye West wouldn’t be........

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