"Can't Tell Me Nothing" is a song by American rapper
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
from his third studio album, ''
Graduation
Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is a ...
'' (2007). The song contains additional vocals from
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followi ...
and
Connie Mitchell
Connie Thembi Mitchell (born ), also known as Miss Connie, is a South African-born Australian singer-songwriter. In 1995 she was a founding member of Primary. Briefly, in 2004, she was vocalist for Machine Gun Fellatio under the pseudonym Fey ...
. It was produced by West with
DJ Toomp with West being responsible for 60 percent of the production. The song originated from Young Jeezy's "I Got Money", after West made changes to the track. On May 15, 2007, the song premiered via
Hot 97 and was released by
Roc-A-Fella and
Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The l ...
that same day as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release ...
from the album. A
hip hop track, it was described by West as a theme song for the people. The lyrics see West reflecting on his fame while he expresses different types of feelings.
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" received universal acclaim from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who mostly appreciated the lyrical content. Others praised the production, while some critics highlighted the song's inclusion on ''Graduation''. It was listed amongst the best tracks of 2007 by several publications, including ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outl ...
'' and ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
''. The song received a nomination for
Best Rap Song at the
50th Annual Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonie ...
, ultimately losing to "
Good Life". The former reached number 41 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, alongside peaking at number 20 on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, and was certified
triple platinum in the United States by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA). It has also been certified gold in both Australia and the United Kingdom by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...
(ARIA) and
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company wi ...
(BPI), respectively.
An accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
was released on May 25, 2007. It sees West walking around
El Mirage Lake
El Mirage Lake is a dry lake bed in the northwestern Victor Valley of the central Mojave Desert, within San Bernardino County, California.
The lake is located about west-northwest of the town of Adelanto and north of Highway 18 in San Bernar ...
unaccompanied, while his silhouette follows him. The video received positive reviews from critics, who have often complimented its camerawork. The song's alternate music video was released on July 25, 2007, which features
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in '' Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1.
Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...
and
Will Oldham lip-syncing "Can't Tell Me Nothing" at Galifianakis's farm. West performed the song live throughout 2007 and 2008, including at a
Live Earth concert in the former year. He later performed it at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
and
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contempo ...
in 2011 and 2015, respectively.
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" was used in the film ''
The Hangover
''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper ...
'' (2009), marking the first of three times that West's music was featured in the films from the
series of the same name. In 2013, West named it his favourite song out of his entire discography.
Francis and the Lights covered the song in 2009, and an
acoustic cover version was later performed by
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, key ...
in 2011. The song's Young Jeezy-featuring remix was released in July 2007, which contains a verse from him.
Background and development
Following on from meeting West when working on rapper
T.I.'s second studio album ''
Trap Muzik'' (2003), record producer
DJ Toomp went to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and joined West in the studio for the creation of ''Graduation''. West showed a high amount of respect for him and was using an
Ensoniq ASR-10 keyboard in the studio, which DJ Toomp said "is the same keyboard I've been using since day one."
Speaking of the two of them collaborating for the album, he opined that "it definitely felt like a team atmosphere" and also "felt like, 'we.'" DJ Toomp admitted that he "would say that sixty percent of 'Can't Tell Me Nothing' was Ye, and forty me," while he called West "a mastermind."
In an interview with
Revolt
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, DJ Toomp explained that his 40 percent of the song's production was the beat and
bassline, while the 60 percent contributed by West consisted of the strings, synths, and the "oh-oh-ah-oh-ah-oh" backing vocals.
He revealed that the song was originally supposed to be a remix of West's
Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The l ...
labelmate
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followi ...
's song "I Got Money", since West loved "the whole cadence of how that beat was flowing" and "wanted the song to be a remix featuring him."
However, Young Jeezy ultimately "wasn't really feeling it" according to DJ Toomp, which led to the song being passed on to West.
Young Jeezy also offered an explanation of how "Can't Tell Me Nothing" came from "I Got Money" during an interview with ''
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...
'', saying that it was supposed to be a collaboration between him and T.I. for the former's third studio album ''
The Recession'' (2008).
The song was recalled as being sent to West by Young Jeezy and he subsequently recorded a verse, before getting in contact with DJ Toomp after discovering that he was the producer and West then heavily altered the sonic direction of "I Got Money".
Due to the changes made by West, Young Jeezy explained that he decided not to release the song on the album.
By 2007, six months later, the song was unused until West played "Can't Tell Me Nothing" for Young Jeezy at a studio session in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, which is a reworked version of "I Got Money", though he revealed that West asked him for permission to use his
ad-libs
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The ...
and was granted it.
The track marked the two's first collaboration, though Young Jeezy admitted after contributing that he "was like, 'Yo,
estowes me one."
For giving back to him, West delivered a verse on Young Jeezy's
single "
Put On" (2008).
While traveling to Japan for a few days in 2006, West visited Japanese contemporary artist
Takashi Murakami
is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts as well as co ae ...
at the artist's Kaikai Kiki studio in
Asaka.
West told Murakami that he is a fan of him and asked about the artist's works; Murakami drew designs for West during the meeting and the two of them arranged to meet at a later date in the United States.
The cover art of the single was designed by Murakami. Accompanying artwork for the album's other singles was also created by Murakami, alongside him overseeing the art direction of ''Graduation''. Despite "Can't Tell Me Nothing" not achieving the same level of
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...
success as the album's subsequent singles, West took pride in the fact that the song had marked his first hood anthem, and it gave him a new level of popularity in the hood.
West also explained during an interview with ''Concrete Loop'' that the song "is like the people's anthem and radio didn't want to play it," while comparing the challenge faced by him to playing a video game.
In the same interview, West stated that the song's "actual melody is made to rock 50,000 people," which he called the reason as to "why it's so simple."
According to West, he tried to step up as a rapper with the song and West recalled that after fellow rapper
Andre 3000 heard the song "he said, 'I believe you.'"
West named "Can't Tell Me Nothing" as an example of him creating a track "that people never heard before."
Composition and lyrics
Musically, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" is a
hip hop track.
The song features slow, moody
synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
-driven production, which contains foghorn keyboards.
It also includes a bassline alongside strings. West explained that the song's chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord ...
are akin to that of a rock melody, specifically comparing them to the music of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are c ...
. The song contains ad-libs from Young Jeezy in the background, which are repeated throughout the chorus. Additional vocals are also provided by Connie Mitchell
Connie Thembi Mitchell (born ), also known as Miss Connie, is a South African-born Australian singer-songwriter. In 1995 she was a founding member of Primary. Briefly, in 2004, she was vocalist for Machine Gun Fellatio under the pseudonym Fey ...
of the Australian electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
group Sneaky Sound System, being looped
''Looped'' is a play by Matthew Lombardo about an event surrounding actress Tallulah Bankhead. It had a Broadway run in 2010, after two previous productions in 2008 and 2009, all three of them featuring Valerie Harper.
Plot
Based on a real even ...
within the song.[
West explained that he wanted to create a theme song with the track, describing it as being a song for the people.] Lyrically, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" serves as West's reflection on his fame and as a result of this, he hovers between insecure and confrontational while marked by bitter regret as well as self-aware defiance.[ West begins the song by expounding his conflicted feelings regarding wealth and desire, describing a compulsion to spend that overwhelms any and all other objectives in life.][ This is tied by West into his perceived overall inability to keep himself together even as he grows into an increasingly prominent figure in the public eye with lyrics like, "I feel the pressure, under more scrutiny / And what do I do? Act more stupidly." Uncertainty is also expressed by West in the song's lyrics, with him asking: "Then you can't tell me nothing, right?"] Shortly afterwards, West affirms "you can't tell me nothing." West said the line "When You Try Hard, That's when you Die Hard" is about having accepted who he is and stopping trying to prove himself all the time, while West revealed that it refers to the outfit worn by him at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in 2006.
Release and reception
West premiered "Can't Tell Me Nothing" via Hot 97 on May 15, 2007, with it being played by DJ Enuff. That same day, the song was released as the lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release ...
from ''Graduation''. West decided on the song being the first single due to fellow rapper 50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
calling it his favorite song from the album, after West met up with 50 Cent and played the album to him. On June 19, 2007, the song was serviced to US rhythmic contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
radio stations through West's record labels Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994.
History
1994–2000: Formation ...
and Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The l ...
. A 12" vinyl was later released for the song by Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
on August 7 of that year. On September 11, 2007, West's third studio album ''Graduation'' was released, featuring "Can't Tell Me Nothing" as the sixth track.
The song was met with universal acclaim from music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, with general praise for West's lyricism. In a highly positive review for ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
'', Eric Henderson noted "Can't Tell Me Nothing" for having the "most justifiable title" on the album and expressed the opinion that "you couldn't find a campus library cavernous enough" for annotating the song. Dan Weiss from ''LAS Magazine
''LAS Magazine'', also known as ''Lost At Sea'' or ''LostAtSea.net'', is a daily online magazine founded in 1998 by Eric J Herboth. An online social group for the magazine list it in the "Entertainment & Arts - Online Media" category with a descr ...
'' highlighted it as the peak of West's examination of "his character flaws every few tracks in a manner that's neither pitying nor arrogant" throughout the album, with Weiss branding the song a "secret sing-along." Dave Heaton of ''PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, f ...
'' described the song as a "powerful single," while he commented that it is the only track on ''Graduation'' which deals with reservations about the album's "major theme" of fame and wealth "in any substantial way." In the ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'', Greg Kot
Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
chronicled West's performance as "defiant, defensive, rueful, sarcastic and deadly passionate." Nathan Rabin from '' The A.V. Club'' called the song a "terrific hyper-soul single" that "tempers" the enthusiasm of West "with the haunting realization that for someone who's hit the top, there's nowhere to go but down, and the public's love has a tricky way of curdling into resentment." MTV writer Shaheem Reid called it "aptly titled," while complimenting West's rapping for him dropping "a myriad of one-liners."
Writing for '' NME'', Louis Pattison labeled the song "pretty special," describing it as "a rare sort of track that brings little but chest-pumped arrogance and shameless cash-flashing to the table." Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania of ''RapReviews'' viewed "Can't Tell Me Nothing" as "brilliant" and pointed out that the beat, verses and chorus are "all classic stuff." '' Spin'' journalist Charles Aaron praised the song's "soulful double-unconsciousness." For ''Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'', Mark Pytlik asserted that the song's production somehow takes "on new life in context of the record." In a less enthusiastic review, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
''s Dorian Lynskey branded it a "tense, angry" track, though criticized certain lyrics for being disappointing.
Accolades
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" appeared on year-end lists for 2007 of multiple publications. The track was voted 34th on ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
''s Pazz & Jop poll for that year with 12 mentions, tying it with 4 other songs for the position. ''PopMatters'' named the track the 30th best song of 2007, with Barry Lenser of the magazine praising West's performance as well as calling the track "rich and hypnotic." It was ranked as the 29th best song of the year by ''Junkmedia'', while ''Pitchfork'' listed the track as the 25th best song. ''Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
'' cited it as the 13th best song of 2007. The track was ranked by ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' as the sixth best song of the year, and the staff admitted that the beat "might be est'smost mesmerizing ever." ''Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outl ...
'' named it the third best song of 2007, while the track's best achievement was being listed as the second best song of the year by laut.de.
For the 2014 issue of '' XXL'' that celebrated 40 years of hip hop, the track was listed as one of the five best singles of 2007. In 2009, the track was ranked as the fifth best song of the 2000s by '' Complex''. On a 2017 list of the greatest rap songs since 2000 by Cleveland.com, the track was ranked at number 56. In 2014, ''LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose pare ...
'' named "Can't Tell Me Nothing" the 17th best song in hip hop history. ''Complex'' named the track their song of the ''Complex'' decade, which spanned from when the magazine was founded in 2002 to its 10th anniversary in 2012. The track was later ranked by ''Complex'' as West's second best song in 2018, while the magazine listed it among rap's most motivational songs two years later.
At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonie ...
in 2008, the song and fellow ''Graduation'' single " Good Life" were both contenders for the award of Best Rap Song. This made West the only artist to receive two nominations for Best Rap Song at the ceremony; he was mostly nominated in rap categories. However, the song lost the award to "Good Life" at the Grammy Awards. "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was nominated for Track of the Year at the 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, a ...
, ultimately losing to "Party Like a Rockstar
"Party Like a Rockstar" is a song by American hip-hop group Shop Boyz. It was released as their commercial debut single and also served as the lead single from their debut album ''Rockstar Mentality'' (2007). It reached huge success during mid- ...
" by Shop Boyz.
Music videos
Two separate music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
s were released to accompany "Can't Tell Me Nothing". The first music video was directed by Hype Williams
Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Ade ...
, who West had collaborated with previously on videos. Due to wanting to create simplistic images with the visual, West reached out to Williams. It was filmed at the dry lake bed El Mirage Lake
El Mirage Lake is a dry lake bed in the northwestern Victor Valley of the central Mojave Desert, within San Bernardino County, California.
The lake is located about west-northwest of the town of Adelanto and north of Highway 18 in San Bernar ...
, which is located in the Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily i ...
's northwestern Victor Valley
The Victor Valley is a valley in the Mojave Desert and subregion of the Inland Empire, in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
It is located east of the Mojave's Antelope Valley, north of the Cajon Pass and the San Bernardino Valley, ...
. On May 25, 2007, the video was premiered by West through his website. It was also released for download via the iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
.
The music video is set in both daytime and the night, seeing West wearing a mankerchief and medallion. It features West as the sole star, with him walking around the desert. West is accompanied by his silhouette, and there is a vivid blue sky and blazing sun in the background. A number of scenes are shot from above, showing the body of West moving in and out of view. Following on from the shots, a smoke machine and spotlights are turned on. A Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.
Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–199 ...
car is included in the video, appearing as B-roll footage. In another B-roll shot, a girl wearing a fly away burka is shown, which was compared to the clothing worn in the 1998 music video for American singer Madonna's single "Frozen
Frozen may refer to:
* the result of freezing
* a paralysis response in extreme cases of fear
Films
* ''Frozen'' (1997 film), a film by Wang Xiaoshuai
* ''Frozen'' (2005 film), a film by Juliet McKoen
* ''Frozen'' (2007 film), a film by Sh ...
". Steven Gottlieb of Video Static called the visual "surprisingly watchable" and commented that its "epic scope makes sure we can't take our eyes off est" while Nadine Cheung from '' The Boombox'' described West as looking "tough" as his silhouette "dances among a sprawling desert." ''Entertainment Weekly''s Chris Schonberger opined that the music video "offers a rather insightful takeon Kanye's controversial persona" and said he "is removed from the vices that threaten his yearning for spirituality" when wandering the desert, as well as noting the clip's "epic quality" due to the scenes shot from above. The staff of ''Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awa ...
'' highlighted the video's "stuttering camera work."
An alternate music video for "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was directed by American actor Michael Blieden, who shot it in New York after receiving an email from comedian Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in '' Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1.
Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...
that told him to fly there for the filming. The production was handled by Blieden and film director Inman Young. Of the video's creation, Blieden recalled him and the production team asking themselves, "What if two farmers from North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
set out to make their own Kanye West music video...and succeeded?" Though hiring clog dancers for the visual was Galifianakis's idea, they were tracked down by Young. West had been introduced to Galifianakis's work through his personal trainer, and eventually asked him to perform in the alternate video after attending one of Galifianakis's stand-up shows in Los Angeles. The unscripted, low-budget music video was filmed at Galifianakis's farm in North Carolina. Galifianakis admitted that he struggled to lip-sync the song's lyrics at the correct pace, as well as finding it difficult to use a tractor. On July 25, 2007, West shared the alternate music video on his website.
In the video, Galifianakis and folk singer-songwriter Will Oldham lip-sync to the song while dancing on tractors, with the two of them being surrounded by cows. Various farm-related high jinks are featured, and Galifianakis and Oldham spit gratuitously. An exploding tractor, numerous clog dancers, and hay bales are included. In one scene, the words "I Love Turd" are shown on Galifianakis's forehead while he holds a chainsaw. The alternate video was selected by ''Rolling Stone'' as the third best music video of 2007, while ''Pitchfork'' listed it as one of the top 50 videos of the year. On a list of the top 50 music videos from the 2000s decade, ''Pitchfork'' ranked the clip at number 13. At the 2009 Antville Music Video Awards, the alternate music video was nominated for Most Fun Video.
Commercial performance
The song debuted at number 80 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the issue dated June 9, 2007, standing as the third highest new entry of that week. For the same issue, the song entered at number 73 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. It ultimately peaked at number 41 on the Hot 100 for the issue date of September 29, 2007. The song was present at number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for that week, though it rose four places to peak at number 20 on the chart the following week. On September 29, 2007, the song peaked at number eight on the US Hot Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...
chart. In September 2020, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA) for selling 3,000,000 certified units in the US.
On the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, the song peaked at number 107 for the chart dated June 23, 2007. As of October 24, 2019, it ranks as West's 32nd most popular track of all time on the UK Singles Chart. "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company wi ...
(BPI) for shelving 400,000 units in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2022. For the issue date of September 29, 2012, the song entered at number 159 on France's SNEP chart. The following week, it rose 14 places to number 145. In December 2015, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...
(ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 copies in Australia.
Live performances
On June 1, 2007, West made a surprise appearance at DJ Gomez Warren's set in Los Angeles to play "Can't Tell Me Nothing". West performed the song as part of his set at a concert of the Live Earth event in 2007, accompanied by a string section which included female members that wore exotic face paint. On July 7 of that year, West performed the song during his appearance at the Manchester Apollo for the Manchester International Festival. For S.O.B.'s impromptu jam session in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
on July 18, 2007, hosted by Hot 97, West deliver a performance of the song. West performed a medley during his in-studio appearance for MTV's ''Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' on August 10, 2007, which consisted of the song and fellow ''Graduation'' single " Stronger". On September 11 of that year, West transitioned from a snippet of the album's track "Champion" into a performance of "Can't Tell Me Nothing" when appearing on BET's ''106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rat ...
''. West performed the song to open the 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards, surrounded by black-clad dancers who moved around similarly to ballerinas. At the launch party for the new T-Mobile
T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic ( T-Mobile Czech Republic), Poland ( T-Mobile Polska), the United States ( T-Mob ...
Sidekick LX in Los Angeles' Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the A ...
on October 17, 2007, West made a surprise appearance that included him performing the song.
During his surprise appearance at a Kid Sister concert in New York's Museum of Natural History on January 25, 2008, West delivered a performance of the song. West performed "Can't Tell Me Nothing" as a duet with collaborator Jay-Z at the American Airlines Arena
FTX Arena (known as American Airlines Arena from 1999 to 2021) is a multi-purpose arena located in Miami, Florida, along Biscayne Bay. It was constructed beginning in 1998 as a replacement for the Miami Arena and designed by the architecture ...
in Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
for the opening concert of the Heart of the City Tour, co-headlined by Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z, on March 22, 2008. At the opening of Murakami's exhibit in the Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown ...
on April 4 of that year, West performed the song live, extending the performance into a freestyle. West and Young Jeezy performed "Can't Tell Me Nothing" together at the Philips Arena
State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Geor ...
in Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
for the 13th annual Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash concert on June 13, 2008. During the first concert of West's conceptual Glow in the Dark Tour, an LCD
A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but in ...
screen seated behind him displayed a fiery explosion that ignited for the song's "oh" vocals while he performed. West performed the song on the final night of Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Mus ...
2008 in his hometown of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
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, which he co-headlined with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the ban ...
. Dressed in an all red outfit, West performed "Can't Tell Me Nothing" during his set at Z100's the Jingle Ball concert in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...
on December 12, 2008.
West delivered a performance of the song in Hyde Park when headlining the second and final day of the 2009 Wireless Festival. On August 6, 2009, he performed it for Casio G-Shock's the World event at Cipriani's on Wall Street
Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...
, performing in front of a shifting digital display screen that counted down the time West was onstage. At the 2011 Coachella Festival, West transitioned from his single " Jesus Walks" (2004) into a performance of the song. West's dancers left the stage during the transition and for the performance, he remained at the front of the stage throughout. West headlined the 2015 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contempo ...
, with his set including a performance of the song. As part of West and his gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
group the Sunday Service Choir's tribute to deceased basketball player Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely ...
at the Super Bowl LIV in 2020, they performed the song. West and the Sunday Service Choir performed a gospel version of "Can't Tell Me Nothing" at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on February 16, 2020.
In popular culture
During West's rivalry with 50 Cent that was caused by the coinciding release date of September 11, 2007 for both ''Graduation'' and 50 Cent's third studio album '' Curtis'', West recalled "Can't Tell Me Nothing" being "the #2 song n the radio in New York at one point, while 50 Cent simultaneously had the radio's most popular song with the album's third single " I Get Money". West explained that the singles were "neck-and-neck," which he called "exciting to people." By October 2007, West recalled people comparing the song to "Spaceship" from his debut studio album ''The College Dropout
''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In the years leading up to release, West had received p ...
'' (2004), saying people told him that both songs gave them inspiration "when they going 'sic''to work." "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was included as the sixth track on the compilation album ''Now That's What I Call Music! 26'', released on November 13, 2007 as the 26th edition of the '' Now'' series in the US.
For the soundtrack of 2009 American comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...
''The Hangover
''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper ...
'', the song was included. It is played alongside a scene that sees the wolfpack driving to Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
for the film's bachelor party
A bachelor party (in the United States and sometimes in Canada), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia), is a party held/arranged by th ...
, with the line "Wait 'til I get my money right" being part of the portion of the song which is featured. West's music was used in all of the films released as part of ''The Hangover
''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper ...
'' trilogy, being included in the soundtrack for the second and third installments of the film series in 2011 and 2013, respectively. In an October 2013 interview on Power 106, West revealed that the track is his favorite song to have been released by him. On August 16, 2018, Kanye's wife Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...
shared a video of her playing the song to their son Saint West, who recognized it as being rapped by his father.
Remixes and other versions
The official remix of "Can't Tell Me Nothing", which features Young Jeezy, was released on July 25, 2007. Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).
S ...
of American hip hop duo UGK had originally been slated to appear on the remix, though his verse was ultimately removed due to him dissing Young Jeezy in it. Speaking about the situation, Pimp C recalled promising not to "drop that shit, because Kanye told me that the song is a prayer," and a reworked version of the song's chorus was also recorded by him. Of the remix, Jay-Z said that it was used to help build up anticipation for ''Graduation'' and he also admitted that there is "a strategy involved" for putting "yourself in the best position." The remix includes a verse by Young Jeezy and new lines from Kanye West. Later in 2007, it was released on the A-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
of the song's 12" vinyl, while also released as the B-side to "Good Life".
Another remix was released on August 30, 2007, with guest appearances from fellow rappers Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
and Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
alongside Young Jeezy. It features shouting by DJs and Lil Wayne delivering instant message speak, as well as more ad-libs from Young Jeezy. The following month, the Rocafella Remix of "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was released, featuring West's labelmates Beanie Sigel and Freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
. On February 7, 2009, West linked to American pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
project Francis and the Lights' cover version of the song on his blog. The cover maintains the hip hop sound of the original version and the project's lead singer Francis Farewell Starlite felt that being among the artists shared via West's blog is "an honor," while he explained that covering the song "was in essence a 'call' to him" that sent a personal message about his feelings towards West's music. During ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s instalment of Mashup Mondays for August 8, 2011, alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, key ...
performed an acoustic cover of the song. On November 26, 2014, recorder and early woodwinds player Carlos Serrano
Carlos Serrano (born August 29, 1963, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a recorder and early woodwinds player. He completed high school studies at Colegio San Carlos in Bogotá. After studying recorder at Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio and Mannes College of ...
shared a mashup of "Can't Tell Me Nothing" with English singer Sam Smith
Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...
's single " I'm Not the Only One" (2014) to his SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...
page.
Track listing
U.S. 12" vinyl'
;A-side
#"Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Album)
#"Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Instrumental)
#"Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Remix) (featuring Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followi ...
)
;B-side
#"Barry Bonds" (Main)
#"Barry Bonds" (Instrumental)
#"Barry Bonds" (Accapella)
Credits and personnel
Information taken from ''Graduation'' liner notes.[
Recording
* Recorded at ]Doppler Studios
Doppler Studios is a recording studio in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, established in 1969 as a one-room studio, and grew to host seven rooms.
History
Founded by original co-owners Pete Caldwell and Tom Wells to serve as their jingle company ...
(Atlanta, GA
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
), Sony Music Studios ( NYC), The Record Plant (Hollywood, CA
Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...
) and Chalice Studios (Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
)
* Mixed at Encore Studios (Los Angeles, CA) and Chung King Studios (NYC)
Personnel
* Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
songwriter, production
* DJ Toomp songwriter, production
* Andrew Dawson recording, mix engineer
* Anthony Kilhoffer recording
* Tony Rey recording
* Mike Dean mix engineer
* Richard Reitz assistant mix engineer
* Bram Tobey assistant mix engineer
* Jason Agel assistant mix engineer
* Nate Hertweck assistant mix engineer
* Anthony Palazzole assistant mix engineer
* Andy Marcinkowski assistant mix engineer
* Darryl Beaton keyboards
* Chris Rob keyboards
* Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followi ...
additional vocals
* Connie Mitchell
Connie Thembi Mitchell (born ), also known as Miss Connie, is a South African-born Australian singer-songwriter. In 1995 she was a founding member of Primary. Briefly, in 2004, she was vocalist for Machine Gun Fellatio under the pseudonym Fey ...
additional vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
Further reading
*
References
External links
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" Lyrics
at MTV (archive from 2008)
*
{{authority control
2007 singles
2007 songs
Kanye West songs
Music videos directed by Hype Williams
Roc-A-Fella Records singles
Song recordings produced by DJ Toomp
Song recordings produced by Kanye West
Songs written by DJ Toomp
Songs written by Kanye West