Infamous Syndicate
Album: Changing the Game (1999)
Notable Songs: “What You Do to Me” “Clock Strikes 12,” “City of Hustlas”
Kanye has always been a big supporter of his hometown of Chicago, working with local artists early in his career. One such example is rapper Shawnna when she was in the Infamous Syndicate. Growing up in the same neighborhood, No I.D. mentored Kanye and Shawnna’s brother, fellow producer Icedrake. Kanye supplied three tracks for the group, creating some of his earliest mainstream work.
After the Infamous Syndicate broke up, Kanye continued to work with Shawnna, who had found a new home with Ludacris’ Disturbin’ Tha Peace clique. Besides producing on her first album, Kanye also originally created the hit song “Gold Digger” for the star. However, Shawnna passed on the track, and the rest is history.
