Benjamin Hudson McIldowie, better known by his stage name Mr Hudson, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer from Birmingham, England. He formed the band Mr Hudson and the Library in 2006, for which he served as lead vocalist, and signed with American rapper Kanye West's record label, GOOD Music through a joint venture with Mercury Records as a solo act two years later. He is best known for his guest performance on West's 2009 single "Paranoid", as well as his songwriting contributions to "Say You Will" and "Street Lights"; all three appeared on West's fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008).
"I Feel a Song (In My Heart)" is a song written by Tony Camillo and Mary Sawyer. The song was originally recorded by Sandra Richardson in 1971.
The Blueprint 3 is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 8, 2009, on Roc Nation and Roc-A-Fella, through distribution from Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. It is the third album in the Blueprint series, preceded by The Blueprint (2001) and The Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at several recording studios and was handled by Kanye West, No I.D., The Neptunes, Jeff Bhasker, Al Shux, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, The Inkredibles, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland. The album also features guest appearances by Kanye West, Rihanna, Drake, Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, J. Cole and Alicia Keys among others.
"Run This Town" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna and fellow American rapper Kanye West. Released on July 24, 2009, it was written by the artists alongside Athanasios Alatas, Jeff Bhasker, and No I.D., the latter producing it with West. "Run This Town" was released as the second single from Jay-Z's eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3.
"Young Forever" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, released in early 2010 as the fifth single from his 2009 album The Blueprint 3 on the Roc Nation label. The song was produced by Kanye West. It is a rework of Alphaville's 1984 song "Forever Young": the original melody is retained, British singer Mr Hudson sings the original lyrics, and Jay-Z raps during the following verses in place of the original song's additional verses.
"So Appalled" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song was produced by West, along with No I.D. and Mike Dean, and features verses by Jay-Z, Cyhi the Prynce, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, and RZA respectively, who all receive writing credits. Lyrically, the song explores topics such as the troubles produced from being famous, social concerns and features numerous pop culture references.
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by 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, Beyoncé and 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 from the deluxe edition of their collaborative studio album, Watch the Throne (2011). The song features additional vocals from Aude Cardona and Jacob Lewis Smith. It was produced by Lex Luger and co-produced by West, with additional production from Mike Dean and the three of them served as co-writers with Jay-Z. The song's beat was first provided to West by Lex Luger during the recording sessions for his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). West then added his production work up until the release and would not preview it to Lex Luger, who considered this was due to his perfectionist approach. The song was released for digital download in the United States as the lead single for the album on January 11, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam.
"Otis" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song samples 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.
"Lift Off" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z featuring the latter's wife, 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 American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative 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 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.
The Watch the Throne Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West that began on October 28, 2011, in Atlanta and continued until June 22, 2012, with its final show scheduled in Birmingham. Originally scheduled for 23 performances, the tour was expanded to 34 performances in North America due to heavy demand for tickets; 29 shows were confirmed in the United States with 5 shows in Canada. Following massive success in the United States and Canada, Jay-Z & Kanye West announced the European leg of the tour on February 21, 2012, which featured 23 performances, bringing the number of shows to 57 at the time.
"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.
"Made in America" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Kanye West and Jay Z, from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). It is the eleventh track on the album and features vocals from singer Frank Ocean. Lyrically, the song explores themes of family life and the American Dream. It expresses the hardships of youth and coming of age. The track received positive reviews from music critics who praised Ocean's vocal hook, and the subject matter of the verses. The song has been compared to "inspirational ballads of late-period Michael Jackson." The song charted on South Korea Gaon International Chart at number 178. Jay Z and West performed the song at their 2011 Watch the Throne Tour.
"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.
"Illest Motherfucker Alive" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z. It is only available on their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011) on the deluxe edition. The song features additional vocals by Kid Cudi, Bankulli, and Aude Cardona. It samples "Tristessa" by Orchestra Njervudarov for an interlude.
"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.
"Murder to Excellence" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z, from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). It samples "La La La", an original song written and produced by Romanian-American duo Indiggo Twins, inspired by Romanian folklore.The voices in the song are from Moldavian singers "Surorile Osoianu". The song features additional vocals from Kid Cudi. The song was nominated for Impact Track at the 2012 Bet Hip Hop Awards. An edited version of the song featured in the trailer for 2022 film Black Adam.
