Kanye West's Mother Passes Away

I was sorry to learn that Kanye West's mother, Dr. Donda West, passed away on Saturday while undergoing a cosmetic procedure. It is always very sad when a loved-one dies. I was never a fan of Kanye West, nor did I know very much about his mother, but it does seem as though he loved his mother deeply. The family has asked for some privacy in dealing with this loss and they are within their rights to do so. From what I have read, she was a major influence in his life, as is the case in a lot of our lives. She was the inspiration for the song, "Hey Mama," on his "Late Registration" album that was released in 2005. Earlier this year, she released a book entitled "Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar," which she co-authored. She retired from her post as a professor and chair of the English Department at Chicago State University in 2004 to become her son's manager. Kanye often spoke of his close relationship with his mother, who has said raised him alone after her husband left when he was three.

Her latest role after she retired from academia was as the chief executive of West Brands LLC, the parent company of her son's business enterprises and as chairwoman of Kanye West Foundation, an educational nonprofit that works to decrease drop-out rates and improve literacy. He told the Associated Press in August that he and his mother worked together to devise the foundation's first program, "Loop Dreams," which helps public school students to get involved in music. It is quite evident that she played an integral role in his life and one cannot help but be saddened for the loss he has just sustained.

Society elevates celebrities to such a high level, that it becomes rather intrusive many times. These people have feelings too and they hurt in the same way the average person does. Media Take Out is bragging that they got the story first and spoke with a relative of Dr. West, who confirmed that she died on the operating table while she was undergoing a tummy tuck and breast implants. This is where one has to wonder if there is a fine line between invading a person's right to privacy or simply getting the story first. Had this been the average person, no-one would really dig for information, but in the case of a celebrity, do we have the right to dig? That is a question I cannot answer, but I would like to put the thought out there for others to think about. I guess, it is human nature to be inquisitive, but at what cost? Many have said that the death of Princess Diana was in some way caused by someone trying to get a picture of her.

If there reasons for her demise are true, then one has to look at the implications of undergoing such procedures and her son may very well have found a new cause to champion, but now is not the time for her family. In a nutshell, I offer my deepest sympathies and pray that the public find some way to respect their privacy, whether you like his music or not. He's still a person too who just lost his mother.