Kanye West performs outside the CBS Early Show in New York on August 4. - REUTERS

The Gold Digger rapper asked his 29-year-old girlfriend, known only as Alexis, to be his wife while the couple were on a recent two-week vacation.

The marriage will be the first for both of them. The couple has been dating since 2002.

Kanye's career almost ended prematurely after he was involved in a near-fatal car crash four years ago.

However, the hip-hop star turned the experience into a hit song, Through The Wire, which featured on his debut album The College Dropout.

At the time, Kanye said: "If you have the opportunity to play this game called life, you have to appreciate every moment."

His second album, Late Registration, also produced a string of hits and saw him scoop a slew of Grammy awards including best rap album, best rap song and best rap solo performance.