What was the name of Kanye West's mother, who died in 2007?

Kanye West's mother, who died in 2007, was named Donda West. Donda Clairann West was born in Oklahoma City in 1949 and became an educator, author, and university administrator. She chaired the English, Communications, Media, and Theater department at Chicago State University before retiring to manage her son's career.

Donda strongly supported Kanye's ambitions in music, even after he left college to pursue production and rapping. Her influence appears throughout his work, especially in the song "Hey Mama" from his 2005 album Late Registration. Kanye also named his creative company Donda and his 2021 studio album Donda in her honor.

She died on November 10, 2007, at age 58, after complications involving coronary artery disease and recent cosmetic surgery. Her death led to the passage of California's Donda West Law in 2009, which requires medical clearance before elective cosmetic procedures. A common mix-up is confusing Donda West with Kanye's later creative brand, Donda; the company and album are named after her.