US rapper Kanye West has spoken about how the recent death of his mother has affected his life.

In a message on his blog, West, who is currently in Japan, revealed that he has only just been able to record his “first verse”.

“It felt good and I was inspired,” the rapper explained.

“Chris Milk told me tragedy can produce great art and this is definitely true. I am a total mad man now, up till 3 am every night, trying to fight pain, boredom, and uncertainty with creativity.”

West’s mother, Donda, died last November after complications arose during cosmetic surgery.

Mrs West was a strong campaigner for her son’s music and in May last year published a book about the lessons she learnt brining the rapper up.

In West’s candid blog, he said that he doesn’t “do anything I don’t love anymore.”

“While people chase money I pursue happiness,” he continued. “So many people talk about there investments or how much money they have but there's so many rich people who spend a lot of that trying to buy a piece of happiness.

“If there's anything my mom taught me is to enjoy life.”

(by Jason Gregory)