"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 the last day of September 2003 as the lead single from his debut album The College Dropout (2004).
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,Kanye West,Kid Cudi,Travis Scott,Jay-Z,Drake,Madonna,Selena Gomez,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).
"Good Life" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album,Graduation (2007). Featuring singer T-Pain,the song includes background vocals from John Legend and Ne-Yo. West and Toomp handled the production,with additional production from Mike Dean. T-Pain thought of the concept when dining out with West,while he also recorded numerous hooks that the rapper used for his feature. On October 2,2007,the song was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the album's third single. A pop number,it samples Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. " and features synths. Lyrically,the song sees West celebrating his success and being determined to succeed,and T-Pain also reflecting on his success.
"Swagga Like Us" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and T.I. featuring fellow American rappers Lil Wayne and Kanye West,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.
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by the American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West,collectively known as The Throne. 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.
"H•A•M" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released as the first single from their collaborative studio album Watch the Throne on January 11,2011. It was produced by Lexus "Lex Luger" Lewis and Kanye West. The song has served as the opening track to the duo's Watch the Throne Tour. Various rap artists have remixed it,such as Ace Hood and Busta Rhymes. The song was featured in the 2012 film Project X. It peaked at No. 23 on Billboard Hot 100.
"Otis" is a song by American hip hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song posthumously features soul singer Otis Redding,whose version of "Try a Little Tenderness" is sampled in the song. 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.
"Who Gon Stop Me" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Kanye West and Jay-Z,from their first collaborative 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 American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring American singers Frank Ocean and The-Dream,from the former two's first collaborative 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 American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z from their collaborative 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.
"Blood on the Leaves" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). In the song,West presents his thoughts on how fame can cause the destruction of relationships,while making comparisons of contemporary times to the lynching of African Americans in the United States during the pre-civil rights era. West delivers his vocals through an Auto-Tune processor,like on his 2008 album 808s &Heartbreak. It contains samples of both singer Nina Simone's 1965 rendition of Billie Holiday's song "Strange Fruit",and "R U Ready" by the duo TNGHT,who co-produced the track.
"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.
"FML" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016),which features vocals from Canadian singer The Weeknd. It contains a sample of "Hit" by Section 25,which two of the band members praised West for sampling. In the song,West references his issues with mental health. The song charted in the United States,United Kingdom and Canada in 2016.
"Pop Style" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake,featuring American rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z,collectively known as The Throne. The song was released alongside "One Dance",as singles promoting Drake's fourth studio album Views,initially for exclusive digital download on iTunes on April 5,2016. The album version features only Drake with a new verse. The single version was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards.
"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.
"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Kanye West and Jay-Z,from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). Additional vocals are provided by Swizz Beatz and Acapella Soul,and Swizz Beatz also produced the song. It plays an interlude afterwards that samples "Tristessa" by Orchestra Njervudarov. The song was praised by music critics,with Jay-Z usually pointed out as the main star. Rolling Stone listed it as the 20th best song of 2011.
"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,American rapper 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.
"True Love" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and XXXTentacion. The song,which is a posthumous release for the latter,was originally included on West's demo album,Donda 2 (2022). For its single version,it was trimmed down by a minute and released by Columbia Records on May 23,2022 in promotion for XXXTentacion's posthumous compilation album,Look at Me:The Album—serving as its second single. A slow track that features synths,it finds West discussing his estrangement from his children,while XXXTentacion croons the hook. The song was written by its performers,while production was handled by West alongside Ojivolta,Mike Dean,and John Cunningham,each of whom are also credited as co-writers.
