Ye, formerly Kanye West, has an uncanny knack for making dramatic crash-landings into the pop culture theatre. Yet, lurking beneath the headlines and chaos lies a lesser-known chapter–a car crash that would alter the course of both his life and career in ways no one could have predicted. While fans are well-acquainted with the rapper’s need for speed, as evidenced by his enviable collection of luxury cars, few realize well before his fascination that an incident nearly claimed his life during his early years. But instead of succumbing to the wreckage, this near-fatal event catalyzed who Ye is.

So, how exactly did the catastrophic crash steer Ye’s career? What role did it play in the creation of the mogul we know today?

Ye was on the cusp of losing his life in a harrowing car accident in 2002. The incident dates back to October 23 around 3-4 AM when the Atlanta-born rapper fell asleep behind the wheel of his rented Nexus (via Rolling Stone). The ‘Vultures’ artist reportedly worked late nights at a California studio, producing tracks for Beanie Sigel, The Black-Eyed Peas, and Peedi Crakk. Though he was rushed to hospital immediately, the crash was lethal, rendering a broken jaw in three pieces with multiple nasal fractures.

After the operation, which had a metal plate inserted into his chin, Ye’s jaw had to be wired shut for six weeks though he was set for discharge in a few days, according to Gee Roberson’s statement to MTV News back in the day. However, within just two weeks of medical care at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after post-facial construction surgery, the artist began recording his verses for ‘Through the Wire’—the entire time with his jaw wired shut.

In an interview with Yahoo Music!, Ye acknowledged he let the frightening incident reshape his career. “‘Through the Wire’ seemed like it was the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened to me, and now it’s obviously the best thing,” he said. The Netflix three-part documentary Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy details the car accident with director Coodie Simmons narrating the backstory. Additionally, according to Song Facts, the rapper had to take several medications throughout the recording session to ease the pain. 

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 The after-effects, however, were more brutal than met the eye, as he once claimed it caused the signs of autism within him.

Ye laid out the blueprint of his career with a car crash that was set to erase his existence. But the situation was so tragic that its impact became more infamous than the incident. On October 18, 2023, the Yeezy mogul asked fashion designer and model Ian Connor to share a screenshot of his text message sent to the Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In the screenshot, the ‘Bully’ rapper pointed out their relationship had to “change” if they were to speak again with one another.

“I’m not bi polar. I have signs of autism from my car accident,” the artist wrote. Ye and Musk were friends, but at the time, the former was banned from the latter’s X platform. Before this, in a December 2022 interview with X17, Ye revealed being “slightly autistic,” and calling it a part of his “superpower.” Again this year, during his February interview with Justin LaBoy, he set the record straight on his incorrect diagnosis of bipolarity to reveal his autism instead. 

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While Ye holds the traumatic car crash responsible for his current state, the world still recognizes it as the career-defining moment of his life, thanks to ‘Through the Wire.’ 

When Ye sets his eyes on something, not even inevitability can stand in his way, let alone a wired-shut jaw. Despite landing in the hospital corridors, it only took him two weeks to trade recovery for recording ‘Through the Wire.’ ‘Through the Wire’ is the lead single from ‘The College Dropout,’ the debut studio album of his extraordinary discography. In a conversation with Interview Magazine in 2014, Ye revealed the accident was a game-changer because he began approaching “time in a different way.”

According to the artist, he was more open to allowing his time to people and things that would not interest him. However, the crash permitted him to do what he wanted to do all along. “Everyone was telling me that I had no business becoming a rapper,” he said, highlighting his time as a music producer.

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The recovery period, however, had him recovering more than what the doctor ordered. 

Ye wrote and produced ‘Through the Wire’ in 2002 and was released as a single from ‘The College Dropout’ in September 2003. The track sampled Chaka Khan’s ‘Through the Fire,’ peaking at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and remained there for a whopping 21 weeks. It also earned the 24-time Grammy winner a Best Rap Solo Performance nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards.

‘Through the Wire’ was certified Platinum and Gold in the United States and United Kingdom. Ye financed the music video with inspiration from Adidas, with whom he now has severed ties. It won Video of the Year at the 2004 Source Hip Hop Awards. Pitchfork included the song in The Pitchfork 500 and Rolling Stone ranked it 14 on the 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time chart in 2020.

The song received near-universal acclaim from critics and according to director Coodie Simmons, ‘Through the Wire’ got Ye on the radar of Def Jam. Moreover, Ye released ‘The College Dropout’ on February 10, 2004, and went on to claim the Best Rap Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards. Therefore, unlike rappers who spit bars to prove their genius, Ye’s mic-drop in hip-hop came hot on the heels of a literal jaw-drop.

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