Fears for Kanye West’s father Ray, 72, as he withstands earthquakes, hurricanes and rampant crime in the Dominican Republic where he runs a charity for victims of prosтιтution
Kanye West’s father is running a charity in the Dominican Republic where he faces daily danger from earthquakes to rampant crime, the rapper’s former stepmother has revealed.
Ray West, 72, set up the Good Water foundation in the Dominican Republic several years ago to help victims of prosтιтution and corruption and was on the island when a mᴀssive earthquake hit in neighboring Haiti this month. Just two days later, the poverty-stricken neighborhood where he lives was slammed by a tropical storm.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Brenda Bentley, who began dating Ray after his divorce from Kanye’s late mother Donda, spoke of Ray’s battle with cancer, seeing Kanye grow up and the father and son’s relationship.
Ray was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and returned to the U.S. for treatment.
During that time, he attended recording sessions for Kanye’s album, Ye, and the rapper even invited him to co-star with Kim Kardashian in a music video, ‘Follow God,’ sH๏τ at the mogul’s sprawling $14million Wyoming ranch.
‘It also is dangerous in the DR because of high crime. There’s not a lot of police activity. Most people at Ray’s age would put their feet up but he’s still got his vision. I’ve been there to see his work. He’s doing good.’
Ray was a member of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s and 70s.
After Kanye’s birth, however, he became a prominent pH๏τojournalist. He was famed for portraits of poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou and President Ronald Reagan.
But he gave up his media career to do charity work.
He started by moving into a homeless shelter, ‘not because he was homeless,’ confided Kanye, but ‘because he wanted to help the ex-drug addicts, he wanted to get that close.’
He launched the Dominican Republic foundation to help with victims of prosтιтution and corruption.
‘He’s financing the work himself,’ Brenda told DailyMail.com. ‘He sells purified water and uses the profits to fund projects like healthcare for women.’
Brenda first met Kanye when he was nine.
He was raised by Donda but would visit ‘Miss Brenda’ – as he called her -for summer vacations. He kept in touch with her after Donda’s death.
‘After Donda’s pᴀssing, when I was around him he seemed like he really held it together well, but you really grieve in those private times,’ she said.
‘In getting his career back, he held it together. But you could see the cracks.
‘It left a gaping hole in Kanye’s life. Donda was his everything.’
