Kanye West’s mother, Donda West, has died a spokesperson for the rapper confirmed.

According to a report by the AP, the 58-year-old former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department died Saturday night in Los Angeles.

A spokesperson for West said: "The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief."

At present the cause of death remains unconfirmed.

The Golddigger singer has openly spoken out about his respect toward his mother, who raised him after her husband left when Kanye was just 3.

Donda – who often defended her son against critics – was also the inspiration for Kanye’s song Hey Mama, which contains the lyrics, "Hey Mama, I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I'm so proud of you ... I appreciate what you allowed for me. I just want you to be proud of me."

The 30-year-old rapper – who was reportedly in London when he heard the tragic news - immediately boarded a plane back to the U.S.