What was Kanye West's debut single as a lead artist?

Kanye West’s debut single as a lead artist was “Through the Wire.” The song became the breakthrough release that helped convince audiences and record executives that West could succeed as a rapper, not only as a producer.

West recorded the song after a near-fatal car crash in October 2002 left his jaw wired shut. Its lyrics describe the accident and recovery, while the production samples Chaka Khan’s 1985 song “Through the Fire,” creating the song’s title and its distinctive sped-up vocal texture.

“Through the Wire” first appeared in an early form, titled “Through the Wire (Still Standing),” on West’s December 2002 mixtape Get Well Soon.... The better-known single version followed on September 30, 2003, and became the lead single from The College Dropout. “Slow Jamz” was his next single, while “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks” were later singles from the same album.