Kanye West’s mum Dr Donda West has died unexpectedly at the age of 58.

Dr West’s publicist Patricia Green has confirmed that she died on Saturday “as the result of complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure”, with unconfirmed reports suggesting it was a tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

Kanye was in London when he was told the news and took an emergency flight back to California to be with his family.

Dr West was the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before quitting to become her son’s manager in 2004. Since then, she has managed his charity foundation and various business enterprises, and recently wrote a book called ‘Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar’.

Kanye has repeatedly publicly expressed his love for his mum - writing his 2005 track ‘Hey Mama’ in her honour and frequently making references to her in interviews.

Kanye’s spokesperson added: “The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief.”