Kanye West had a very privileged childhood. Growing up in Chicago, his parents were highly educated professionals. His father was a photojournalist and his mother was an English professor at Chicago State University. As a child, Kanye was very creative and showed a great interest in music, writing poetry and making beats. He also had an interest in fashion, which he developed by watching his mother sew and make clothing for him and his siblings. His parents also encouraged his love for music, purchasing him equipment and instruments such as keyboards and samplers in order to help him express himself.