Kanye West, also known as Ye, is considered one of the most influential rappers of his generation. Raised in Chicago, Kanye West began producing music in the early 2000s and released his first album in 2004. Since then, West has experimented with a variety of different musical styles. His music has been heavily influenced by soul, pop, electronic, hip hop and gospel. Kanye's wide range of musical influences have helped him win 21 Grammy Awards and become one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Kanye West is well known for his gospel-related rap songs, in which he is eminently frank in his relationship with God. He makes strong allusions to God, spirituality, and redemption in many of his most popular songs. On February 14, 2016, Kanye West released an album titled The Life of Pablo, which quickly reached the top of the charts. "Ultralight Beam" quickly became a fan favorite for both its gospel influences and biblical references. The song features a number of different artists, including Kirk Franklin, The-Dream, Kelly Price and Chance the Rapper. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay West's Biblical Allusions in His "Ultralight Beam""Ultralight Beam" draws on additional information to illustrate Kanye West's faith and relationship with God. In “Ultralight Beam,” Kanye West draws parallels between his life and life of Saint Paul the Apostle. In the Bible, Saint Paul the Apostle, originally known as Saul, was on his way to Damascus to persecute believers in Christ. On his way he was hit by an ultralight ray sent from the sky and was blinded for three days. After he regained his sight, Saul changed his name to Paul and decided to dedicate the rest of his life to serving the Lord. As a result, he had an enormous influence in early religious ideology and is now credited with writing 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Kanye wishes to live a life similar to that of St. Paul in the sense that he wants to have a great influence in Christianity. Kanye wants to enlighten people the same way God enlightened Saul. “Ultralight Beam” is Kanye's way of explaining his struggles in faith and his relationship with God. Kanye sings in the chorus, “We on an ultralight beam, that's God's dream” (West). He hopes that through this song people can relate to his experiences and grow their faith. The story of St. Paul the Apostle is ultimately where the song takes its name from and is what Kanye often alludes to throughout the song. In addition to St. Paul the Apostle, “Ultralight Beam” continues to rely on additional information as it references several other biblical stories. Chance the Rapper, a feature of the song, uses Bible verses and implements them into his rapping in a unique way. For example, Chance the Rapper references St. Michael the Archangel when he says "foot on the Devil's neck until he drifted into Pangea" (West). In the Bible, Saint Michael the Archangel was the leader of God's Army who defeated Satan and consequently cast him out of heaven. He is often depicted standing above Satan in a moment of triumph and victory. Thinking back to Chance the Rapper's lyrics, he imagines himself with his foot on the devil's neck just like St. Michael did. He says it's exerting pressure so strong that it's actually causing continental drift. This reference illuminates Kanye and his relationship with God. Kanye wants to be a leader of God and help lead people away from Satan. With such a large audience and fan base, Kanye wants to use his.