Jump to content

Everything I Am (Kanye West song)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Everything I Am"
Song by Kanye West featuring DJ Premier
from the album Graduation
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2007
Recorded2007
StudioAvex Studio
(Honolulu, HI)
Sony Music Studios
(New York, New York)
Record Plant
(Hollywood, CA)
GenreHip hop
Length3:47
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Kanye West

"Everything I Am" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song features a guest appearance from DJ Premier, while it was solely produced by West. The beat was passed on to West, after first being set for Common's seventh studio album, Finding Forever (2007). DJ Premier recorded seven different scratching styles, crafting varied drum break rhythms for West. A hip hop song, it samples elements of Prince Phillip Mitchell's "If We Can't Be Lovers" and Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise". The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Background[edit]

The beat for the song was passed on to West by his fellow rapper and GOOD Music associate Common as he mentions in the lyrics; it was originally intended for his 2007 album Finding Forever that was released shortly before Graduation.[1][2] At the time of release, Common did not regret giving West the beat since he felt he used any song which was meant to be and believes "in divine order", admitting that West made a better song than he would have as does happen sometimes.[3] The beat for fellow album track "The Glory" was also an offer from Common and speaking retrospectively in 2024, the rapper said he passed on at least 10 beats to West over time.[2][4] "Everything I Am" was produced solely by West and includes a feature from DJ Premier, who Common references on Finding Forever when he dubs the rapper "the new Preemo".[5][3] The track marked the two's first collaboration and they discussed it over the phone; the DJ told West he liked the lyrics and was impressed with the beat, though wanted to contribute scratches. West gave DJ Premier varied instructions and he took seven different scratching styles, cutting drum breaks into alternate rhythms for the rapper to choose between his ideas throughout the song.[6] After listening to an early version of "Everything I Am", DJ Premier brought the sample of hip hop group Public Enemy's 1987 single "Bring the Noise" to the song.[7]

Composition[edit]

Musically, "Everything I Am" is a hip hop song.[7] Elements from the track "If We Can't Be Lovers" by Prince Phillip Mitchell are used throughout the song. It also includes elements from Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise".[5] DJ Premier's feature on the track has him merely contributing scratches on the chorus.[8]

Lawsuit[edit]

American singer Solange Knowles released her single "Fuck the Industry" for digital download in 2010, which is based around a sample of "Everything I Am". West and his co-writers on the original received songwriting credits on the single and since it maintains some of the elements of "If We Can't Be Lovers", Mitchell was also credited as a songwriter.[9][10] In February 2018, Mitchell launched a lawsuit against West and Knowles that cited both the songs as using an unauthorized sample. The lawsuit sought punitive damages and argued that the artists "wilfully committed the infringement", insisting for the songs not to be performed live by them nor played on radio stations.[9][10][11]

Lyrical content[edit]

The verses feature West acknowledging that there's things he'll never be like, with quotes such as: "I'll never be as laid back as this beat was" and "Goodbye to the Indie Arie Award/".[12]

In an XXL list of 20 times the rap star showed Chicago love via lyrics, the lines: "You see how I creeped up?/You see how I played a big role in Chicago like Queen Latifah?" made the list.[13]

Critical reception[edit]

NME gave a rather deep, but positive reception towards the track, describing it as: 'starting on a war tack, but slowly softening, compassion slipping through the seams'.[14] The song was received by DJBooth as being 'almost a character analysis' from West.[15]

HotNewHipHop placed it at number 30 on their list of West's 50 best songs.[16] Despite a lack of commercial success, "Everything I Am" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for amassing 1,000,000 certified units in the United States on May 31, 2023.[11][17]

Live performances[edit]

"Everything I Am" was rarely performed during West's live sets.[18] On September 29, 2007, just over two weeks after the album featuring it had been released, West gave a freestyle over an orchestral version of the beat from "Everything I Am" live on SNL, accompanied by a live performance of fellow Graduation track "Champion".[19]

Legacy[edit]

10 years after the song had been officially released, DJBooth published an article about it being West's 'last comfortable moment', showing a view towards the track of it having a significant legacy.[20] A legacy was also portrayed of "Everything I Am" in a 2017 article by Noisey about the featuring album, with it being written that the hook: 'became an almost ubiquitous Myspace screen name for teens and college-age kids' and that 'Those kids are now the biggest stars in rap and they haven't lost sight of the lessons Kanye taught on his genre-blending third album.', which shows it as having influence along with a legacy.[21]

In August 2016, West's then-wife Kim Kardashian listed it among her top 28 favourite songs by him.[22]

Personnel[edit]

Information taken from Graduation liner notes.[5]

  • Songwriters: Kanye West, Phillip Mitchell, George Clinton, Jr., Carlton Ridenhour, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee
  • Producers: Kanye West
  • Recorders: Andrew Dawson, Anthony Kilhoffer
  • Mix engineer: Mike Dean
  • Assistant engineers: Bram Tobey, Jason Agel, Nate Hertweck, Anthony Palazzole, Andy Marcinowski
  • Rhodes: Omar Edwards
  • Additional vocals: Tony "Penafire" Williams
  • Bass guitar: Vincent "Biggs" James

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "Everything I Am"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ortiz, Edwin (May 11, 2013). "10 Famous Beats Rappers Passed On". Complex. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Shipley, Al (September 11, 2017). "Kanye West's 'Graduation': 10 Things You Didn't Know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Richards, Jason (September 20, 2007). "How Not To Be Common". NOW. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 17, 2024). "Common Talks About All the Dope Kanye West Beats He Passed Up". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Graduation (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Crosley, Hillary (November 30, 2010). "DJ Premier Talks Kanye West's 'Mama's Boyfriend'". MTV. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Beaumont, Mark (2015). Kanye West: God & Monster. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781783233946. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Heaton, Dave (September 9, 2007). "Kanye West: Graduation". PopMatters. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Butler, Will (February 3, 2018). "Kanye West and Solange are reportedly being sued for copyright infringement". NME. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Shepherd, Jack (February 3, 2018). "Kanye West and Solange both reportedly sued for alleged copyright infringement". The Independent. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Wilson, Elijah C. (February 2018). "R&B Singer Sues Kanye West, Solange For Illegally Sampling 1970s Track". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Kanye West - Everything I Am Lyrics". Genius Lyrics. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  13. ^ Orcutt, KC (January 22, 2018). "20 Times Kanye West Showed Love to Chicago in His Lyrics". XXL. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  14. ^ Pattison, Louis (September 13, 2007). "Kanye West - 'Graduation' review". NME. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  15. ^ "Z" Zisook, Brian (May 13, 2015). "Is Kanye West's 'Graduation' Album a Masterpiece? We Debate". DJBooth. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  16. ^ Schwartz, Danny (February 15, 2018). "Top 50 Best Kanye West Songs". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "American single certifications – Kanye West – Everything I Am (feat. DJ Premier)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  18. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (February 1, 2018). "Kanye West and Solange sued for alleged copyright infringement". The Fader. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Pasori, Sedar; Silver, Leigh; McDonald, Leighton; Sen, Raka; Cheng, Susan (November 15, 2013). "Saturday Night Live - The Design Evaluation of Kanye West's Live Performances". Complex. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  20. ^ Wilhite, Matt (September 11, 2017). "10 Years Later, Kanye West's "Everything I Am" Remains His Last Comfortable Moment". DJBooth. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  21. ^ Burney, Lawrence (September 12, 2017). "Kanye West's 'Graduation' Gave Birth to Rap's First Real Rock Star". Noisey. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  22. ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (August 30, 2016). "Stream Kim Kardashian's playlist of her favourite Kanye West tracks". NME. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Everything_I_Am_(Kanye_West_song)&oldid=1227925983"