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Brian Ach \/ Contributor via Getty Images<\/p>\n
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Dr. Donda West with her son Kanye West in 2007<\/p>\n
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Chicago renamed a portion of East 78th Street in South Shore as Dr. Donda West Way in honor of Kanye West\u2019s late mother.
\n Kanye attended the ceremony to unveil the honorary street sign.
\n Donda has remained a major presence in Kanye\u2019s music through songs like \u201cHey Mama\u201d and \u201cOnly One,\u201d as well as his 2021 album, Donda.<\/p>\n
Kanye West\u2019s late mother, Dr. Donda West<\/a>, has been honored by the city of Chicago with a street renamed in her memory. On Tuesday (Sept. 22), East 78th Street in South Shore, not far from where the \u201cFlashing Lights\u201d rapper grew up, was officially renamed Dr. Donda West Way.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Donda West was not only a scholar \u2014 she was a builder of people, a cultivator of talent, and a champion for Black creativity and intellectual excellence,\u201d 7th Ward Alderman Greg Mitchell, who served as master of ceremonies for the South Side event, said<\/a>. \u201cFor nearly three decades, Dr. West shaped minds and opened doors.\u201d<\/p>\n While Ye himself didn\u2019t speak at the ceremony, he was there to officially unveil the honorary street sign. The father of four wasn\u2019t alone, either, with Chi-Town legends and longtime friends such as GLC, Don C, Really Doe, and RhymeFest all showing up to support him. Take a look at the video below, then scroll for some of the many times Kanye has referenced his mother on wax.<\/p>\n A look back at Kanye West\u2019s many musical tributes to Donda West<\/p>\n In case you didn\u2019t know, Dr. West was a professor and chair of Chicago State University\u2019s English Department. She died at 58 in 2007, a day after undergoing cosmetic surgery. The official Los Angeles County coroner’s report concluded that she died from pre-existing coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors. Ye, however, has made sure to give his mother her flowers both while she was here to smell them and long after.<\/p>\n Most rap fans will immediately recognize his tribute to her on \u201cHey Mama<\/a>\u201d from 2005\u2019s Late Registration. Before that, he dished out lines like \u201cMy mama used to say only Jesus can save us \/ Well, mama, I know I act a fool \/ But I’ll be gone ’til November, I got packs to move, I hope\u201d on \u201cJesus Walks,\u201d which appeared on The College Dropout.<\/p>\n