NEW LIBRARY IN SIERRA LEONE TO BE NAMED AFTER KANYE'S LATE MOTHER, DR. DONDA WEST; KANYE NAMED EXECUTOR OF HER $250,000 ESTATE.

Kanye West's late mother Dr. Donda West will be honored by executives for the Shine on Sierra Leone charity before having a library named after her. The Donda West Library & Literacy Center is set to be opened this autumn (2008) in Bongema, Sierra Leone and will serve students at the local Muddy Lotus Primary school. The center will also provide free literacy classes to the local community. It won't be the first time the West family has been involved with children in Sierra Leone. In 2005, Donda and the Kanye West Foundation donated $5,000 to the African country to help rebuild a dilapidated school building. That school became Muddy Lotus Primary, and was recently dedicated to her memory, reports HHNLive.com.

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In related news, Kanye has been handed control of his mother's estate. A Los Angeles court ruled last Thursday (5.29.2008) that Kanye and his financial manager Shawn Gee be co-executors of Dr. Donda West's estate - valued at less than $250,000. She died six months at the age of 58 from a pre-existing coronary artery disease, just one day after undergoing tummy tuck and breast reduction surgery in Los Angeles. Donda, who had retired as an English professor was managing her son's affairs when she died, didn't leave a will.

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KANYE'S COUSIN PROPOSES NEW LAW IN HONOR OF HIS MOTHER, DR. DONDA WEST.

The death of Kanye West's mother, Dr. Donda West, might not have been in vain after all. A California Assemblywoman is seeking to pass a new law that would require patients to have medical clearance from a licensed doctor before undergoing plastic surgery. According to the Daily Bulletin, Yolanda Anderson, Donda West's niece, reached out to California State Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, who introduced the "Donda West Law" on Friday, February 22. Donda West, 58, died Nov. 10, 2007, of complications after an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and breast reduction by a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. A news release from Carter's office stated that Donda West did not heed medical advice from another plastic surgeon to get a clearance because of a pre-existing medical condition. The coroner's report in January was inconclusive about the cause of death.

Paramount for Anderson is making sure plastic surgery is safe for the next person, she said. "After we got back from her funeral, I decided to do something about it," Anderson said. "It became a passion for me." According to Anderson, Kanye is supporting the cause and has offered to help in any way that he can. “Kanye is ecstatic and very grateful,” said Anderson. “He said, `You started this. Now run with it and let me know how I can help.”
....

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KANYE WEST TO PAY TRIBUTE TO HIS MOTHER AT THE 50th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS.

Bless his heart.

Three months after his mother's sudden death, Kanye West is planning an emotional tribute performance at the Grammy Awards. The rapper – who's up for eight nominations, including album of the year and rap album of the year for Graduation – has not been officially announced as a performer for the Feb. 10 awards show. But an insider tells PEOPLE that West, 30, had a rehearsal at the Staples Center Thursday afternoon, performing a moving medley of his hits Stronger and Hey Mama.

West's mother Donda died of heart disease and other factors Nov. 10, one day after undergoing cosmetic surgery. She was 58.
...

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J. DUPRI'S DAD TURNS SCREAM TOUR SUCCESS INTO A MEDIA EMPIRE; DR. JAN ADAMS SAYS HIS MEDICAL PRACTICE IS 'NEARLY DESTROYED' FOLLOWING WEST'S DEATH.

Jermaine Dupri's father, Michael Mauldin, announced Wednesday (January 23) his plans to launch a label based on the popular Scream Tour, which was headed up by T.I. and Ciara last year under the banner Screamfest '07. Mauldin has also announced that R U The Next SCREAM Star? will be coming to a city near you in search of music’s next superstar. R U The Next SCREAM Star? is a national talent contest that aims to discover and establish unsigned artists; molding their dreams into reality. Male and female contestants aged 13-25 within the genres of Hip-Hop, R&B and Pop will compete for the opportunity to receive a recording contract with SCREAM Star Entertainment / Atlantic Records, and a management contract with Mauldin Brand Agency. When considering the enormous success the SCREAM Tour concert series has had and the amazing showcase from an A-list of performers, why not give undiscovered talent with extreme ambition a chance to shine? The Atlantic Records-distributed Scream Star Entertainment will also feature a revamped Web site, ScreamStar.com, which is set to include video highlights from each Scream tour, featuring the likes of Omarion, Ne-Yo and Bow Wow. Last year's monumental New York stop — which saw Jay-Z, Diddy and Kanye West join T.I. onstage — will also be included in the Scream Tour Anthology that's scheduled to go live on the site later this week. ...

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Speaking of Kanye West, Dr. Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who operated on the rapper's mother, Donda West, returned to CNN's Larry King Live on Tuesday to discuss the case more than two months after abruptly walking off the set of the show. According to The Associated Press, Adams said the fallout from West's death has impacted his medical practice "horribly ... it's almost destroyed [it]." West, 58, died at a Los Angeles-area hospital on November 10, a day after Adams performed plastic surgery on her, including a tummy tuck, breast reduction and liposuction. A coroner's autopsy report found that West most likely died of heart disease coupled with complications after plastic surgery, though an exact cause of death couldn't be confirmed. "The autopsy said what I expected," Adams told King, though he would not go into detail, citing patient-doctor privilege...

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REAL OR RUMOR: KANYE BLAMES HIMSELF FOR HIS MOTHER'S DEATH?

Kanye West is reportedly wracked with guilt over the death of his mother, believing the cosmetic surgery he paid for killed her. A recent inquest confirmed the tummy tuck and liposuction Donda West underwent the day before she died in November (07) didn't contribute to her passing. She died from a "pre-existing coronary artery disease". But the rapper still blames himself for encouraging his mother to go under the knife.

A source tells the National Enquirer, "It was his money that paid for the operation and his fame that opened up this very different world to Donda. Donda was so proud of Kanye and all he had accomplished, and gave up her job as the head of Chicago State University's English department to look after his career. It would never have occurred to her to have plastic surgery before Kanye hit it big. He can't help thinking it shouldn't have happened."

....

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DR. JAN ADAMS CLEARED OF ANY WRONGDOING IN THE DEATH OF DR. DONDA WEST.

Dr. Jan Adams has been cleared of any wrong doing in the November 10 death of Kanye West‘s mother, Dr. Donda West, who died of complications from plastic surgery at the age of 58. Adams released a statement in regards to West's autopsy report. “What came out of the autopsy was exactly what I thought was going to be reported. Out of respect for Kanye West’s family, I want to honor the doctor patient confidentiality agreement.” The L.A. County Coroner has concluded that Kanye's mom died of "coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty." The report indicates her final manner of death "could not be determined." The coroner says several things could have played a role in her death, but they could not say for sure what exactly killed her, adding there was no evidence that anesthesia -- or even the surgery -- caused or contributed to her death.

According to the coroner’s report, West acted against doctor’s orders by returning home after her surgery, though she was advised to receive post-operative care at another facility. The report also suggests that West might have had difficulty breathing, which could have triggered a cardiac event. Speaking to the Associated Press, Captain Ed Winters of the LA County Coroner’s office stated that West “could, possibly” still be alive if she had not had surgery; however, he went on to say “she could have also died because of pre-existing cardiac issues.”

CONTINUING READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

The Coroner's report narrative states that Stephen Scoggins (Donda's nephew), a nurse with an advanced degree in Public Health, was called by a friend of Donda to go to the surgery center where the procedures were performed, because Ms. West was not "waking up soon enough."

Her family declined to release a statement.

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CORONER: DR. DONDA WEST DIED OF HEART DISEASE WHILE SUFFERING 'MULTIPLE POST-OPERATIVE FACTORS.'

Donda West, the mother of rapper Kanye West, died of heart disease while suffering "multiple post-operative factors" after plastic surgery, the L.A. coroner said Thursday. But an autopsy failed to determine the exact role these factors played in her death following liposuction and breast-reduction surgery, officials said. West, 58, died on Nov. 10 at Centinela Freeman hospital after friends and family made a frantic 911 call for help from her home in Playa Del Ray. "The final manner of death could not be determined," the coroner said in a statement. "Multiple post-operative factors could have played a role in the death. The exact contribution of each factor could not be determined. There was no evidence of a surgical or anesthetic misadventure."

Just a day before her death, West had undergone cosmetic surgery with Dr. Jan Adams, who has faced tremendous scrutiny since West died. At the time her death, a family spokesperson said West had passed away "as the result of complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure."

West had been on the faculty of the English Department of Chicago State University for over two decades before retiring from academia to manage her son's career. She recently published Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Star. Her only son, in turn, dedicated his song Hey Mama to her.

...

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KANYE TO FULFILL MOM'S LAST WISH BY MARRYING HIS FIANCEE, ALEXIS IN A WINTER WEDDING BY THE END OF 2007.

Kanye West is planning to fulfill his mother's last wish, and marry his fiancee Alexis Phifer by the end of the year (07). The rapper has decided not to stall his marriage plans in the wake of his mother Donda's tragic death last month because he knew she wanted him to settle down. However, before his mother's untimely death, the rapper told GQ magazine, "I'm just going to go and get married -- I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. It's not to prove anything to anyone -- it's for me, for stability in my life, and I'm so happy that I found someone that I really love, that challenges me, that keeps my life interesting, that's just as crazy as I am."

According to a press release: Kanye will celebrate the New Year (2008) as a married man, if his fiancée Alexis Phifer has her way. The blushing bride-to-be accepted West's romantic marriage proposal during an Italian vacation last year (06) - and she admits the couple is planning a winter wedding. Asked when she'll become Mrs. West, Phifer gushes, "Before the year is up."

READ MORE OF THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

A friend of the family tells the National Enquirer, "His mother's sudden death brought into focus just how short life really is. Kanye doesn't want to wait any longer to make Alexis his wife. He believes that this is what his mom would want him to do. Kanye knew how much his mother loved Alexis and how she was looking forward to seeing them married."

Before her death, Donda went public with her feelings for her daughter-in-law-to-be, calling Phifer "a very outstanding young woman," adding, "I can't think of one negative thing I would say about her - even in private." West's mother died earlier this month (Nov07) after undergoing a tummy tuck and breast reduction in Los Angeles.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

SCANS OF DR. DONDA WEST (KANYE'S MOTHER) ENTIRE FUNERAL OBITUARY

Once I finished reading Kanye's mother's obituary, the first word out of my mouth was, 'Wow.' She led a full and prosperous life and she accomplished so much during her time here. The handwritten statement written by Dr. West on her obit was beyond inspirational and deep too. There should be no regrets whatsoever about what she didn't get a chance to do...or a place to go...or a person to see. Our God knows best. He made sure her time here wasn't in vain. She lived to see her son reach international success after coming so close to loosing him. The only true sad, part of all of this is she won't be here in physical form to see her lil Chipmunk get married. I know for a fact that she was looking forward to his wedding. But, the good news, at least from what I have heard, is that Kanye is doing a lot better than people expected. Bless his heart.

As for the family's request to the other attendees asking them to leave the celebrities alone, it couldn't have been more appropriate. I'm glad they did it. As a matter of fact, I think all high-profile celebrity funerals should be private because some people tend to lose their damn minds and get all groupie-giddy-like whenever they see a celeb...no matter where they are.

Case in point: The family of TLC's Lisa Lopes had so much compassion for Lisa's fans that they made her funeral public just so her fans could say goodbye to her alongside Lisa's celebrity friends. I guess her family never took into consideration the fact that some people just don't know how to act when it comes to showing the deceased a little respect. Long story short: once celebs began entering the church, all hell broke loose. 'HEY WHITNEY!', 'OMG! USHER AND CHILLI! USHER AND CHILLI LOOK UP HERE! HEY YALL!', 'JANET!, JANET! OOH, YALL JANET'S HERE!'

I mean, really!

CLICK ON PICS BELOW TO VIEW AND READ DR. WEST'S OBITUARY IN IT'S ORIGINAL FORM. THE REMAINING OBITUARY PAGES ARE AFTER THE JUMP!


SHOUTOUT TO Soul Glo @ LSA FOR POSTING IT THERE FIRST!

I mean really. And some folks are just nosey and uncouth for no reason. I don't mind telling yall that I have an aunt (and she know who she is) who will go to anybody's funeral (rather she knows the deceased or not) just to be nosey and be seen. Tactless, right? Yeah, believe me, I know.

Raise your hand if you have ever cried or just got goosebumps from listening to 'Stand'? Let me find out!

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

PICS FROM DONDA WEST'S FUNERAL; KANYE GIVE 'EMOTIONAL', 'HUMOR-FILLED,' HEARTBREAKING' EULOGY.

SPENCER, OKLA. - Kanye West fought back tears as he paid tribute to his mother Tuesday at a funeral service sprinkled with music industry celebrities. The prolific hip-hop artist told a crowd of more than 1,500 mourners, including rap moguls Jay-Z and Beyoncé, he still couldn't believe his mother was gone. "You gotta grow up now," the 30-year-old West said softly of his reaction to getting word his mom had died while he was on tour in Europe. West said he remained abroad for a few days because it was what his mother would have wanted. "She had her hands on me," he said. The rapper and record producer, whose climb to super-stardom began just four years ago, said, "I didn't expect this to happen this year." A single mother and accomplished academic who rose to head the English Department at Chicago State University, Donda West became her son's first manager, closest adviser and "my biggest fan," West said in an impromptu eulogy that was both humor-filled and heartbreaking. Before stepping off the stage, he said simply, "I love you, Mom."

R&B songstress Anita Baker sang Donda's favorite song Summertime before being greeted and thanked by Kanye.

Kanye's fans lined the streets to catch a glimpse of those who attended the service which took place at the True Vine Ministries Church in the suburb of Spencer. The media and general public were not allowed into the service or onto church property, but news cameras set up across the street showed Kanye West, as well as friends and fellow stars Jay-Z and Beyonce, emerging from vehicles. After the service Donda’s casket was placed onto a horse drawn carriage and taken to a nearby cemetery.

MORE PICS OF KANYE, BEYONCE AND JAY-Z AT DONDA WEST'S FUNERAL AFER THE JUMP! (click 'MORE AFTER THE JUMP!' below on bottom left)

Meanwhile, Dr. Jan Adams made a bizarre one-minute appearance on "Larry King Live" last night during which he removed his earpiece and walked off the set as King was trying to ask him questions. Apparently West's family threatened to seek his decertification from the Medical Board of California if he went through with the interview. "I had come here to talk about things in the press that aren't accurate about me, but I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for the West family, and they've asked me not to go on," Adams told King.

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KANYE COMES CLEAN; RAPPER SAYS BEEF WITH THE GOR-REE-RAH a.k.a 50 CENT WAS JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT.

Well touch me in the morning, then just walk away. Who would have ever thought Kanye would once again tell us something we already knew?

Kanye West has revealed his chart battle with rap rival 50 Cent was a publicity stunt he dreamed up to sell records. The pair went head to head in September (07) when both of their albums were released on the same day. West won after a frenzied media battle he now claims he created.

The multi-platinum hitmaker comes clean to GQ (December '07 issue) magazine, stating, "It was a complete publicity stunt. It was my idea. I knew it was going to take off as soon as we were going to come out on the same date. Think about it - you got the two biggest shit-talkers in rap history. There's no-one in rap history known for talking more shit than me and 50. That's something I will stand on." He adds of 50 Cent's vow to retire if he lost the battle: "Oh man, he sold so many more records by saying that. Man, 50 is really one of my favorite rappers, too. I almost feel bad (about beating him)." Although, West hammered 50 with sales in the U.S., it was 50 sold more albums worldwide than his play-play rival.

Also in the cover story, West, who GQ magazine has named as one of their 2007 Men of the Year, does not discuss the sudden tragic passing of his mother Donda in the article, but he does speak on his impending marriage to designer Alexis Phifer. “I’m just going to go and get married — I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. It’s not to prove anything to anyone — it’s for me, for stability in my life, and I’m so happy that I found someone that I really love, that challenges me, that keeps my life interesting, that’s just as crazy as I am.”

The issue hits newsstands on November 27.

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STARS COME OUT FOR (PRIVATE) FUNERAL OF DR. DONDA WEST; JOHN LEGEND & ANITA BAKER PERFORM.

Surrounded by his friends and family, Kanye West arrived at the True Vine Ministry church on Tuesday, to lay his mother to rest. Early Tuesday morning, flowers poured inside the church, which can accommodate up to 2,500 people. It was a solemn day as a white hearse, carrying the body of Dr. Donda West arrived and her coffin was carried inside. Inside the private service, John Legend and Anita Baker reportedly performed. Other stars also came out to lend Kanye their support including Beyonce and Jay-Z.

After the service, two horse drawn carriages transported her body to the cemetery.

The evening before, Kanye took to the stage in Brussels, Belgium, paying tribute to his mother. He spoke out about continuing to tour in her memory. "If she was here, she would tell me to 'get on that stage and kill it, dawg!' That was her favorite word: dawg. She would tell me to go on this Glow in the Dark Tour and 'take over the world and be number one like I taught you to be, baby.'"

Meanwhile, Access Hollywood reported yesterday that West paid for the plastic surgery his mother received from Dr. Jan Adams, which took place one day before her death. But the rapper did not want her to undergo the procedures. He wanted his mom to go to a trainer instead, Access Hollywood reported.

Her father, Oklahoma City civil rights leader Portwood Williams Sr., told The Oklahoman newspaper, his daughter was a great person. “We were real close — very close,” Williams said. “She was just number 1. One in a million. We have four children, and I’ve never heard them have an argument with each other. She was just a number 1 person.”

Donda West, 58, died as the result of possible complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure.

Kanye West is set to resume his Glow in the Dark Tour on Thursday night in London.

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FRIENDS OF KANYE SAYS HE'S 'DEVASTATED' & 'IN DENIAL' AFTER MOTHER'S DEATH; UNAWARE SHE WAS HAVING SURGERY.

Kanye West is devastated and seemingly "in denial" after a botched plastic surgery likely led to the sudden death of his beloved mother, friends told the Daily News. The rapper, who has been in Europe on tour with his album Graduation, needed several days to gather the strength to fly back to the U.S., family friends said. Adding to the tragedy, a friend says, the Grammy-winning rapper didn't think his mom, Donda West, needed any physical improvement - much less radical cosmetic surgery. "I don't think Kanye was aware Donda was getting the surgery, or certainly the extent of it," a family friend said. "He loved and supported her just the way she was. He thought she was beautiful."

Donda West, 58, died on Saturday at a Los Angeles hospital just 24 hours after receiving a breast reduction and tummy tuck from Dr. Jan Adams, a well-known TV doctor with a hidden history of DUI convictions and six-figure medical-malpractice judgments. The coroner is investigating "complications of surgery" as the cause. An official determination won't be made for weeks. "Donda had image issues, like a lot of women," said the friend, to whom Donda West had confided in recent weeks.

A funeral is scheduled for Tuesday in Oklahoma City, according to the family friend.

Adams performed the surgery on Kanye's mom at a low-rent storefront clinic perched above a FedEx Kinko's store in a West Los Angeles strip mall, according to an address provided by the Los Angeles County coroner. The clinic, Brentwood Surgery Center, still had a display promoting Adams' skincare products on a faux Grecian column yesterday. Adams, 53, was the chief surgical resident at Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital from 1989 to 1990. He remained in hiding yesterday after offering his "deepest condolences" to Kanye's family in a statement released Tuesday.

The Medical Board of California already was seeking to revoke or suspend Adams' license over two drunken-driving arrests in 2002 and last year that led to convictions. Adams also was ordered to pay two separate malpractice judgments of $217,337 and $250,000 in 2001.

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*UPDATES* FUNERAL LOCATION DETAILS FOR DR. DONDA WEST + OPRAH RECOMMENDED DR. JAN ADAMS TO DR. WEST?

The doctor who performed a tummy tuck and breast reduction on the mother of Kanye West is a plastic surgeon to Hollywood's elite and something of a celebrity himself, with a TV show of his own on the Discovery Health Channel's Plastic Surgery: Before and After as well as a host of appearances on programs from Extra to Oprah. Adams also wrote a book titled: Everything Women of Color Should Know About Cosmetic Surgery.

What Dr. Jan Adams hasn't publicized, however, is that the state medical board is investigating whether to revoke or suspend his license over 2 alcohol-related arrests (the photo in the upper left-hand corner is his mug shot from late last year.); that he has been the target of malpractice lawsuits; and that he's paid out nearly $500,000 in civil settlements. Adams, through his spokesman Kevin Williams, confirmed for The Associated Press that he operated on Donda West.

After rumors and reports that talk-show mogul Oprah Winfrey recommended Dr. Adams to Dr. West surfaced on the Internet, a spokesperson for Winfrey announced in a statement to Access Hollywood claiming the rumors were “Absolutely untrue. Oprah did not introduce Dr. West to Dr. Adams,” The rep added Oprah neither introduced, nor recommended, the two and that the last time Oprah had spoken to Dr. West was April 27, 2005, when she had Dr. West and her son on the show. However, earlier in the day, a source told Access Hollywood that Dr. Adams was, in fact, one of two doctors Oprah recommended to West. The source claimed Oprah also recommended a doctor in Chicago.

Location details regarding Dr. West's funeral have been made available. The former college professor is scheduled to be laid to rest in her home state of Oklahoma. According to a report by Oklahoma television station, KOCO, a Howard-Harris funeral home representative confirmed to the tv station that they had been contacted by the West family in preparation for funeral services in Oklahoma City. Dr. West graduated from Douglass High School in Oklahoma City in 1967.

Last Friday, Dr. Adams operated on Dr. Donda West at his surgical center in Los Angeles. The operation began shortly after 12 noon and lasted 5 hours. Afterwards, West was sent home to recover. The former college English professor credited for guiding her son to superstardom was being cared for at her home by private nurses. But Saturday evening something went terribly wrong. Paramedics were called and West was rushed to Centinela Freeman Marina Medical Center where medical doctors spent 10 minutes trying to resuscitate her before pronouncing her dead at 8:29 p.m.

To read more on the shady past of Dr. Jan Adams, CLICK HERE

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**UPDATED** KANYE'S FAMILY ISSUES OFFICIAL STATEMENT; DETAILS SURROUNDING HER DEATH

Kanye West's family issued a statement Monday after the death of the singer's mother, Donda West, of possible surgical complications:

"Kanye West, his family and friends would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and kind words that have come in from across the country since the death of his mother, Dr. Donda West.

"After working in higher education for 31 years, Dr. Donda West and Kanye West co-founded the Kanye West Foundation with the mission of helping to combat the severe dropout problem in high schools across the country. The first and signature initiative of the Kanye West Foundation is Loop Dreams. Designed to capitalize on students existing interest in hip-hop, Loop Dreams challenges students to learn more about what's behind hip-hop culture in order to help them develop skills, express themselves creatively and be empowered.

"In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Dr. West's name to the Kanye West Foundation/Loop Dreams Teacher Training Institute. Those donations can be made by visiting the Foundation's Web site, The Kanye West Foundation or by mail at Kanye West Foundation, 8560 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069.

"Details of funeral services are still pending."

--Thanks, Madi!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Donda West, the mother and manager of rapper Kanye West, died following cosmetic surgery it has been confirmed. Patricia Green, Donda West's publicist told CNN West died following a "cosmetic procedure" in Los Angeles at the weekend. Green would not give details about the procedure or exactly what the cause of death was. West died Saturday night at age 58 at Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Marina del Rey after she stopped breathing at her home, according to Deborah Ettinger, a hospital vice president. She was taken to the hospital by paramedics. "We tried to resuscitate her, but were unsuccessful," Ettinger said. West did not have surgery at the hospital, said Ettinger. It was not immediately clear what hospital she had the surgery at or what it was for. The LA County Coroner's office said it would perform an autopsy on West on Wednesay to determine the cause of death.

READ MORE ABOUT KANYE'S MOTHER UNTIMELY PASSING AS WELL AS THE RELATIONSHIP HE SHARED WITH HER AFTER THE JUMP!

In June, West met with Dr. Andre Aboolian of Beverly Hills to inquire about cosmetic surgery. Aboolian told West two weeks ago that she needed to get a medical clearance before he would agree to do the surgery, said his publicist, Jo-Ann Geffen. He never heard back from her, Geffen said. Aboolian was concerned about a condition West had that may cause a heart attack during surgery, said Geffen, declining to elaborate because of patient privacy rights. "He simply said that in order for him to be comfortable, he felt it necessary to have a medical clearance before he'd touch her," Geffen said.

Geffen said she didn't know if West had cosmetic surgery elsewhere. "He feels terrible because he said she was such a sweet lady," Geffen said.

During the MTV special All Eyes on Kanye West in August 2005, West put his relationship with his mom in even more context, saying, "After my parents got divorced and we moved to Chicago at age 3, I would go visit my father on Christmas during breaks and the summer. But the rest of that time, my mother was my everything, if you're an only child. That's my everything." That same year, Kanye released his album Late Registration, and one of the most touching tracks was Hey Mama, a tribute to Dr. West.

"When she first heard it, she was crying," Kanye said of the record. " ... Even me sitting back thinking about all the stuff now, thinking about all the stuff my mother has done for me, it makes me wanna call her."

"Kanye likes to think as a hobby and speak his own mind. He was always like that," Donda West told InStyle earlier this year. "He came out of the womb looking like he had that attitude." The impact she had on her son is undeniable, as is the impact he had on her. Just about every time you saw her around Kanye, she would have the most joyous look on her face. It was pride — she got to see her baby live his dreams.

Rapper Jay-Z paid tribute to Donda at a concert in New York on Sunday Night according to People, asking the crowd for a moment of silence. "Let's get serious for a minute. This show is dedicated to Kanye West who had a death in the family. We got you, Kanye. Stay strong."

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

KANYE WEST'S MOTHER DIES AT THE AGE OF 58 IN LOS ANGLES.

RealGossip 101 would like to extend condolences to rapper Kanye West and his family after the sudden and untimely death of his mother, Dr. Donda West. I first read about her passing around 4 or 5am this morning on a messageboard. At the time, the original poster posted vague details suggesting Mrs. West died after her body rejected medication she had taken after having a cosmetic plastic surgery (allegedly a tummy tuck and breast augmentation/implants) procedure done recently. Of course, with no story or link to back up his/her claim, we all dismissed it as another 'this story ain't funny one damn bit' hoax. That being said, I was truly surprised to learn that Kanye's mother did indeed pass away late last night in Los Angeles. She was 58-years-old. The official cause of death has yet to be released.

Now, everyone knows how close their mother-son relationship was. Some would even say Kanye (who was his mother's only child) is the founder and CEO of the 'Mama's Boy Club', respectively. I remember reading an excerpt from Kanye's interview in Essence magazine's Mother's Day 2006 issue. He said, 'I don’t want to offend all the other parents, but I’ll put you up against anybody else’s mom. I definitely have the best.” So, what really pulled at my heartstrings was the fact that Kanye had to hear of his mother untimely passing while he was in London. I'm pretty sure the flight to Los Angeles had to be one of the longest flights in his life...as well as the holiday season.

May she rest in peace.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Donda West, mother of Kanye West and former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department, has died, a spokesman for the rapper said. She was 58. Donda West died Saturday night in Los Angeles, said the spokesman, who asked for anonymity because not all family members had been notified. "The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief," the spokesman said. A cause of death has not been released. Donda West was known for the strong bond she shared with her son, by whose side she was often seen at parties and award shows. Kanye West, 30, often spoke of his close relationship with his mother, who raised him alone after her husband left when Kanye was 3. She was the inspiration for the song, "Hey Mama," on Kanye West's 2005 album Late Registration, in which he sings: "Hey Mama, I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I'm so proud of you ... I appreciate what you allowed for me. I just want you to be proud of me."

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!