Kanye West has never been shy About just how hard the premature death of his mother, Dr. Donda West, was for him, and his latest Tweet is a**ther Heartbreaking example. The "Famous" rapper shared an old photo of him and his Mother on Tuesday - which would have been Donda's 67th birthday - and wrote, "**ri asked if the airplane could take her to heaven to see you for your birthday, I love you mom." Kanye's Mother was a retired English professor and passed away tragically due to complications during a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure in **vember 2007. Kanye was very close with his mom, devoting his 2005 song "Hey Mama" to her and later naming his creative content company after her following her death.