The 2002 crash occurred when West was leaving a late-night recording studio session, according to Spin, when his rented Lexus crashed into another car after West fell asleep at the wheel, prompting the producer to be rushed to the hospital with a jaw fracture, per Rolling Stone. It was this life-changing accident that propelled the producer to pursue a full-time career as a rapper, and in fact, the song "Through the Wire" was written and recorded while West's mouth was still wired shut. At the time, MTV reported on the incident: "Manager Gee Roberson said that West's life is not in danger, and that he is in stable condition with a fractured jaw. West is expected to be released from the hospital within the next few days, and his jaw will be wired shut for the next six weeks."

To further prove West's claim, the owner of the other car involved in the accident, Miguel Villasana, sued West over a motor vehicle claim in 2003, nearly a year after the crash. Per AllHipHop, the plaintiff was left with "with a totaled car, two broken legs, a broken pelvis, broken knees, a shattered ankle and was out of work for over a year." Furthermore, a public document obtained by Spin shows a record of the lawsuit behind filed and dismissed.

"The accident gave me the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do," West told Interview Magazine. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB%2BkHJucm5fqbWmedOrrK2gXZavsMHTZqKapqmaerix0q2qZqyVp7%2BqrsueZJyZomKupK%2FInZynrF8%3D