15. Kanye West
kanyetalk.com
Launch Date June 2006
What You'll Find Kanye West is rarely at a loss for words — and neither are his devotees, who endlessly dissect the Chicago rapper-producer's music on this site's popular message boards. There's also a news blog with updates on everything from Kanye's latest CD sales figures to his hottest new mixtapes.
Why It's Essential Where else can fans form a consensus on burning, oddly capitalized questions like ''is KANYE getting too TOP 100/MAinstreAM???''? The site also contains embedded YouTube clips of behind-the-scenes video-shoot footage, fan-submitted Kanye covers, and condolences on the recent loss of his mother.
Official Site kanyeuniversecity.com
Designed to look like a futuristic anime city, West's online home boasts a treasure trove of lyrics, music, and streaming videos. Best of all is West's own blog, with links to his recent couture finds (''Dope Fred Perry Polo'') as well as copious shout-outs to his music biz pals. — Simon Vozick-Levinson
