(AP)LOS ANGELES -- Donda West, mother of Kanye West and former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department, has died, a spokesman for the rapper said.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. While a cause of death has not been released, it's believed that a routine cosmetic surgery procedure, undertaken by Dr. Jan Adams, is what attributed to her death.
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. In May, she published the book "Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Star," in which she paid homage to her famous son.Donda West served as chief executive of West Brands LLC, the parent company of her son's business enterprises, and as chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, an educational nonprofit that works to decrease dropout rates and improve literacy.
She worked in higher education for 31 years, before leaving academia in 2004 to help manage her son's career, according to a biography on the Kanye West Foundation's Web site.
She began working at Chicago State University in 1980 and eventually chaired the school's English department, according to the site. She started her teaching career in the early 1970s as an instructor at Brown College in Atlanta.