Kanye West Spends 35th Birthday in Dublin

Universal Music GroupWe're not sure what Kanye West will do to celebrate his 35th birthday, but whatever it is, his rumored girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, will likely be front and center.   On Kanye's big day Friday, Kim tweeted a hello from Dublin, Ireland, where 'Ye and Jay-Z are set to do back-to-back performances on their Watch the Throne tour. 

June is a big month for Kanye, who on Tuesday released his "Mercy" music video, and on Saturday will see the official release of his Nike Air Yeezy II sneakers.  Last month, Kanye premiered his short film Cruel Summer in Cannes, and fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the same-named G.O.O.D. Music compilation album.

Chicago native Kanye has come a long way since his early days as a producer.  His early work as a rapper saw little fanfare, but the beats 'Ye made for artists like Foxy Brown, Harlem World and Goodie Mobb set him on a path to craft tracks for Jay-Z.  Kanye had a hand in Jay-Z hits including "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" off 2001's The Blueprint album, which led to more production gigs and more big names. Still, the producer with rapper aspirations struggled to land a record deal that would allow him to show off his rap skills.

Injuries Kanye suffered in a near fatal car crash in 2002 later inspired "Through the Wire," his breakout song as a rapper.  Two years later, the track would appear on Kanye's debut album, The College Dropout, released by Roc-A-Fella Records. 

On Friday, "Through the Wire" was one of three trending topics inspired by Kanye's special day.  Another early 'Ye song, "Jesus Walks," was trending worldwide on Twitter, along with the topic "#FavKanyeWestSong."

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio