At age 10, Kanye West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China. The move came when his mother, Donda West, was teaching at Nanjing University as a Fulbright Scholar.
The family had previously lived in Chicago after Kanye’s parents divorced. His stay in Nanjing was relatively brief, but it became one of the most distinctive episodes of his childhood. According to biographical accounts, he attended a local school and was the only foreign student in his class.
West reportedly adapted quickly and picked up some Mandarin, although he later said he had forgotten most of the language. The experience is sometimes simplified into the claim that he “grew up in China,” but Nanjing was a temporary childhood residence rather than his permanent home.
His early years also included a strong interest in art and music. After returning to the Chicago area, he attended Polaris School for Individual Education in Oak Lawn, Illinois, and began developing the creative interests that later shaped his career as a producer and rapper.