Kanye West

Kanye West's mother, Dr. Donda West, has died in Los Angeles.  The cause of her death at this time in unknown. Last May, Dr. Donda West published the book "Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Star".  Kanye and are mom had a very strong bond and were often seen together at parties and award shows.

Dr. Donda West is the former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department. She worked in higher education for 31 years, before leaving academia in 2004 to help manage her son's career, according to a biography on the Kanye West Foundation's Web site.

Dr. Donda West served as chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, an educational nonprofit that works to decrease dropout rates and improve literacy and as chief executive of West Brands LLC, the parent company of her son's business enterprises.

She began working at Chicago State University in 1980 and eventually chaired the school's English department. She started her teaching career in the early 1970s as an instructor at Brown College in Atlanta.   Kanye West - Hey Mama