The Blueprint 2:The Gift &the Curse is the seventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 12,2002 by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group as a double album. It serves as a direct sequel to his previous album,The Blueprint (2001). It was supported by two singles that peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100:"'03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Excuse Me Miss".
"Through the Wire" is the debut solo single by American rapper and producer Kanye West,who wrote and recorded the song with his jaw wired shut after a car crash on October 23,2002. The song samples Chaka Khan's 1985 single "Through the Fire" and was released on September 30,2003 as the lead single from his debut album The College Dropout (2004). The song was also included on West’s debut mixtape Get Well Soon…. (2002).
The Fix is the seventh studio album by American rapper Scarface. The album was released on August 6,2002. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart,with well over 160,000 copies sold in its 1st week. Guest artists on the album include Jay-Z,Beanie Sigel,Nas,Faith Evans,and WC. Producers include Mike Dean,Kanye West,Tony Pizarro,Nottz,and The Neptunes. Upon release,The Fix was met with critical acclaim.
"Encore" is a hip-hop song from Jay-Z's The Black Album. It features guest vocals by John Legend,Don Crawley,GLC and Kanye West. The song was released by Roc-A-Fella Records and produced by West for Konman Productions.
Michael George Dean is an American record producer,audio engineer,and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his synthesizer-heavy instrumentation and audio mixing for high-profile music industry artists. Beginning his career in 1992,he was first credited on releases for Texas-based rappers such as Scarface,Willie D,and Geto Boys,although he has since worked with artists including The Weeknd,Beyoncé,Kid Cudi,Travis Scott,Jay-Z,Drake,Madonna,Selena Gomez,Playboi Carti,and Lana Del Rey,among others. As a non-performing lead artist,Dean has released five solo studio albums:4:20 (2020),4:22 (2021),Smoke State 42222 (2022),4:23 (2023),and 424 (2024).
"Swagga Like Us" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and T.I. featuring fellow American rappers Kanye West and Lil Wayne,the latter of whom also produced the song,constructed primarily around a vocal sample of "Paper Planes" by British musician M.I.A. It was released on September 6,2008,in the United States as the fifth single from T.I.'s sixth album Paper Trail (2008). The track was also initially slated for inclusion on Jay-Z's eleventh album The Blueprint 3 (2009),however it ultimately failed to make the final track listing.
"Monster" is a song by American rapper Kanye West,released as the third single from his fifth studio album,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features rappers Jay-Z,Rick Ross,and Nicki Minaj,along with indie folk group Bon Iver. All five credited acts have writing credits on the posse cut,with the production handled by West and Mike Dean. The instrumental is atmospheric and drum-heavy,and the lyrics reflect influences from horror films,creating an eerie composition which drew critical comparisons to the Michael Jackson track "Thriller".
Watch the Throne is the only studio album by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z. It was released on August 8,2011,by Roc-A-Fella Records,Roc Nation,and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release,Jay-Z and West had collaborated on various singles,and with the latter as a producer on the former's work. They originally sought to record a five-song collaborative extended play,which evolved into a full-length album. The album features guest appearances from Frank Ocean,The-Dream,Beyoncéand Mr Hudson. It also features vocal contributions from Kid Cudi,Seal,Justin Vernon,Elly Jackson,Connie Mitchell,Charlie Wilson,and Pete Rock,among others;samples of vocals by soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield are both credited as guest features on the album.
"Otis" is a song by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,from their debut studio album Watch the Throne (2011). The song samples and features soul singer Otis Redding's version of "Try a Little Tenderness". The production was covered solely by West. The track was premiered by Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show and was released onto the Internet the day afterward. Lyrically,the song has the two rappers sharing lines discussing wealth,decadence and fame. The track received highly positive reviews from music critics who praised the trading off of verses by the two rappers and the Redding-sampled beat,which was compared to the style heard on West's The College Dropout. Several publications placed the song amongst the best of the year.
"Gorgeous" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The track features a hook provided by Kid Cudi,a recording artist formerly signed to West's label GOOD Music,and a rap verse provided by the Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. The song was written by West,Cudi,Raekwon,No I.D.,Mike Dean and Rhymefest,and was produced by West,No I.D. and Dean. It contains elements of Enoch Light and the Glittering Guitars' cover version of The Turtles' song "You Showed Me". "Gorgeous" received mostly positive reviews from music critics,who generally praised the intricacy of the production,the quality of the guest features and the rock music-inspired aesthetic of the song. Several critics cited West's verses as a highlight of the track,complimenting his lyricism and delivery.
"Lift Off" is a song by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,featuring American singer Beyoncé. It was written by rappers,Jeff Bhasker,Mike Dean,Bruno Mars,and Seal,while production was handled by West,Bhasker,and Mike Dean with Pharrell,Q-Tip,and Don Jazzy receiving co- and additional production credits. It was originally released on August 8,2011 as a track from Jay-Z's and West's collaborative album Watch the Throne before being sent to urban contemporary radio on August 23,2011. The song was rumored to be released as the lead single from the album containing additional vocals by Bruno Mars. However,Mars never appeared on the song.
"Niggas in Paris" is a song by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,from their debut studio album,Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by Hit-Boy with West and Mike Dean,while Anthony Kilhoffer contributed additional production. The producers served as co-writers with Jay-Z and Reverend W.A. Donaldson,the latter of whom was credited due to a sample of his work. Jay-Z envisioned the song's concept as how the two obtained their wealth instead of showing it off,using it as a momentary question of their status. Pusha T was originally offered the beat,yet rejected it due to the playful sound. The beat was crafted by Hit-Boy in five minutes and went unused until he was called by Don C,then he provided it for the song. On September 13,2011,the song was released to US rhythmic and urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth single,through Def Jam,Roc Nation,and Roc-A-Fella
"Who Gon Stop Me" is a song by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,from their debut studio album Watch the Throne (2011). The song is the ninth song on the official track list for the album. Music critics praised the song.
"No Church in the Wild" is a song by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,featuring American singers Frank Ocean and The-Dream,from the former's debut studio album Watch the Throne (2011). Opening the album,the song explores themes of religion and decadence. The track received highly positive reviews from music critics,who praised Ocean's vocal hooks,the depth of the verses,the cinematic production and the song's power as an opening track.
"Gotta Have It" is a song by the American hip hop supergroup The Throne,composed of rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,from their debut studio album Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by West and the Neptunes,and samples three original compositions by James Brown:"Don't Tell a Lie About Me and I Won't Tell the Truth About You","People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul" and "My Thang". The song explores themes of wealth,decadence and the economic stature in the US. The song received positive reviews from critics who complimented the production and the clever wordplay of the two rappers.
"No Mistakes" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his eighth studio album,Ye (2018). The song features vocals from Kid Cudi,Charlie Wilson and Caroline Shaw. It was produced by West,while co-produced by Che Pope and Shaw,with additional production from Mike Dean and Eric Danchick. The producers of the song,with the exception of Danchick,wrote it alongside Cyhi the Prynce,Malik Yusef,Kenneth Pershon and Bump J. Songwriting credit was added for Slick Rick due to the song sampling his work and as it samples music by the Edwin Hawkins Singers,Edwin Hawkins was credited as a songwriter. The song contains samples of "Children Get Together",performed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers,as well as "Hey Young World",performed by Slick Rick.
"Illest Motherfucker Alive" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from the deluxe edition of their collaborative studio album,Watch the Throne (2011). The song features additional vocals from Kid Cudi,Bankulli,and Aude Cardona. It was produced by Southside,West,and Mike Dean,who served as co-writers with Jay-Z and Kid Cudi. Southside provided the beat to West after the production of the latter's "See Me Now" in 2010,crafting its basis with his Roland TR-808;West then incorporated the synths.
"Guilt Trip" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West,from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West,Mike Dean,S1,with an additional production credit for Travis Scott and Ackeejuice Rockers for the samples of "Chief Rocka" by Lords of the Underground and "Blocka" by Pusha T featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott. The song's lyrics deal with looking back at a failed relationship,similar to fellow Yeezus track "Blood on the Leaves". West provides his vocals through rapping and singing through an Auto-Tune processor,reminiscent of his 2008 album 808s &Heartbreak. The song includes vocals from rapper Kid Cudi,who later expressed negative opinions about his feature due to his vocals being recorded years prior.
"City of Gods" is a song by American rappers Fivio Foreign and Kanye West and American singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the lead single from Fivio's debut studio album B.I.B.L.E. and the second single from West's album,Donda 2. On the song,Playboi Carti provides ad-libs,while Keys interpolates the chorus from "New York City" (2015) by The Chainsmokers. The track was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America,indicating 500,000 units recorded in the US and was nominated at the 54th NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song.
Drillmatic –Heart vs. Mind is the tenth studio album by American rapper the Game,released on August 12,2022,by 100 Entertainment and Virgin Music Label &Artist Services. It consists of collaborations with Kanye West,Big Sean,Drake,Ice-T,Fivio Foreign,Roddy Ricch,YG,Ty Dolla Sign,Moneybagg Yo,ASAP Rocky,Jeremih,Pusha T,Lil Wayne,2 Chainz and Meek Mill,among others. Across its other 30 tracks,production was done by high-profile producers,such as Timbaland,Swizz Beatz,Mike Dean and Hit-Boy,among others.
