Kanye West shares touching tribute to late mother Donda

It’s been nearly nine years since Kanye West lost his mother, Donda West, and in honor of her would-be 67th birthday, the rapper shared a touching tribute via Twitter early Wednesday.

“Nori asked if the airplane could take her to heaven to see you for your birthday,” Kanye wrote, referring to his 3-year-old daughter North. “I love you mom.”

In the years since Donda’s 2007 death, Kanye’s work has been largely tied to her legacy. He frequently references her memory in lyrics, most notably penning 2014’s “Only One” as a message to North from his mother’s perspective.

During his much-anticipated Yeezy Season 3 / Life of Pablo premiere in Madison Square Garden this past February, West debuted a Donda-inspired trailer for his upcoming Only One video game, which features an animated depiction of his mother arriving at heaven’s gates.

In 2015, he tattooed both Donda and North’s birthdays on his wrists. His creative content company, DONDA, is also a tribute to her name. See Kanye’s tweet above.