Through the Wire

Infobox Single
Name = Through the Wire


Caption =
Artist = Kanye West
from Album = The College Dropout
A-side =
B-side =
Released = October 23, 2003
Format = 12" maxi single, CD
Recorded = 2002 at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California
Genre = Hip hop
Length = 3:41
Label = Roc-A-Fella, Island Def Jam
Writer = Kanye West, David Foster, Tom Keane, Cynthia Weil
Producer = Kanye West
Certification =
Last single = "Slow Jamz"
(2003)
This single = "Through the Wire"
(2003)
Next single = "All Falls Down"
(2004)
Misc =

"Through the Wire" is a hip hop song performed by rapper Kanye West for his debut album "The College Dropout" (2004). Released in 2003 as the album's lead single, it peaked at number fifteen on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The song, which samples Chaka Khan's 1985 single "Through the Fire", received positive reviews from music critics.

After a car accident in October 2002, West recorded "Through the Wire" with his jaw wired shut. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, the track was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance, which was won by Jay-Z's "99 Problems". The music video was self-financed by West, who conceived ideas from an Adidas advertisement.

Conception

On October 23, 2002, West was in a California recording studio producing music for Beanie Sigel, Peedi Crakk, and the Black Eyed Peas. [Jones, Steve (August 21, 2005). [http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2005-08-21-kanye-west-inside_x.htm Kanye West, hip-hop's writer-in-residence] . "USA Today". Accessed October 23, 2007.] After leaving the studio at around 3 a.m. in his rented Lexus, West had a near-fatal accident when he got cut off by a car, ran head-on into traffic, and collided with another car near the W Hotel. [Rosario, Boo (March 2003). "Story to Tell". "The Source" magazine, p. 60.] [Reid, Shaheem (October 23, 2002). [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458308/20021023/jay_z.jhtml Kanye West Injured in L.A. Accident] . MTV. Accessed October 23, 2007.] He was taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and had his jaw wired to his face in reconstructive surgery. Two weeks after being admitted to hospital, he recorded the song at the Record Plant Studios with his jaw still wired shut.cite album-notes |bandname=Kanye West |title=The College Dropout |year=2004 |publisher=Roc-A-Fella Records |publisherid=986 173-9] [Reid, Shaheem (December 10, 2002). [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1459071/20021209/west_kanye.jhtml Kanye West Raps Through His Broken Jaw, Lays Beats for Scarface, Ludacris] . MTV. Accessed October 23, 2007.] The song's title refers to the wires used to hold his broken jaw together.Kearney, Kevin (September 30, 2005). [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/sep2005/kany-s30.shtml Rapper Kanye West on the cover of Time: Will rap music shed its "gangster" disguise?] . World Socialist Web Site. Accessed October 23, 2007.] When asked about how the incident changed his music, West stated: quote|Well, the only thing this accident's is saying is, "I am about to hand you the world, just know at any given time I can take it away from you." To nearly lose your life, to nearly lose your mouth, your voice, your whole face, as a rapper...and I had to be on TV! My face looks crazy to me now... But I have to just thank God for the situation that I am in... "Through The Wire" is the worst thing that could've possibly happen to me, and now it's obviously the best thing. Look how it exploded! [Johnson Jr, Billy (April 11, 2004). [http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12033791 Live Wire] . Yahoo! Music. Accessed October 23, 2007.]

The track circulated on West's unofficial mixtapes before being officially released in late 2003.Sanneh, Kelefa (February 9, 2004). [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/09/arts/music/09CHOI.html The College Dropout Review] . "The New York Times". Accessed August 3, 2007.] Although he initially had trouble convincing Roc-A-Fella Records executives to let him make his own album as a rapper, he was able to change their minds after the song's release. [Eliscu, Jenny (August 19, 2007). [http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/070819/070819kanye_west.html Genius Is As Genius Does] . "USA Weekend". Accessed October 23, 2007.]

Music and reception

"Through the Wire" was inspired by the 2002 car accident and has West provide a comedic account of his difficult recovery. The chorus and instrumentals samples a "pitched up" version of Chaka Khan's 1985 single "Through the Fire".Kellman, Andy (2004). [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A58rj283l053a The College Dropout Review] . Allmusic. Accessed August 3, 2007.] West's rapping is described as "a Snoop-meets-Hova flow, twisting up his words with the patented 'izz' inflection." [D., Spence (April 19, 2004). [http://au.music.ign.com/articles/507/507402p1.html The College Dropout] . IGN. Accessed October 24, 2007.] The song received positive reviews from music critics. PopMatters called it "as riveting and moving as everyone says it is" and it "may be the album's most startling personal horror story (though it's also a song of hope and gratitude)". [Heaton, Dave (March 5, 2004). [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/w/westkanye-college.shtml The College Dropout Review] . PopMatters. Accessed August 3, 2007.] Allmusic's Andy Kellman said it was "a daring way to introduce himself to the masses "as an MC" and it "couldn't have forged his dual status as underdog and champion any better." Kellman described the content as "heartbreaking and hysterical" and that despite his "inevitable slur, his words ring loud and clear".

"The New York Times"' Kelefa Sanneh described him as "a wounded hero beating the odds" and it "gave him a chance to prove that he was the exception to the rule that producers can't rap." "Stylus Magazine" called it a "a poignant, pop-culture-packed account of Kanye’s near-fatal run-in with Chaka Khan and crystal meth." [ [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=1728&PHPSESSID=ca08209c9785c6bda26c700562451a5a The College Dropout Review] . "Stylus" magazine. Accessed August 3, 2007.] By rapping with his jaw sawed up, "The Source" noted that West used "the element of surprise to his advantage". [Rosario, Robert "Boo" (March 2004). "Record Report". "The Source" magazine, p. 157.] HipHopDX listed the track as one of "the classics that created" the album's hype [ [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.377/title.kanye-west-college-dropout Kanye West - College Dropout] . HipHopDX. Accessed August 3, 2007.] and Pitchfork Media stated it was "chock-full-of-clever". [Mitchum, Rob (February 20, 2004). [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/23265-the-college-dropout?artist_title=23265-the-college-dropout The College Dropout Review] . Pitchfork Media. Accessed August 3, 2007.] "Vibe" magazine wrote that "West's sideways approach to music making stands out" on the track and the "raw, teeth-clenching narrative falls in line with his gutwrenching soul beats." [Frosch, Dan (October 16, 2003). [http://web.archive.org/web/20031129235449/http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=95 Kanye West-College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)] . "Vibe" magazine. Accessed October 24, 2007.] At the 2005 Grammy Awards, the track was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance, which was won by Jay-Z's "99 Problems". [ [http://www.rockonthenet.com/grammy/rapperf.htm Grammy Awards: Best Solo Rap Performance] . Rock on the Net. Accessed October 24, 2007.]

Chart performance

"Through the Wire" debuted at number ninety-four on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and peaked at number fifteen for five weeks. It remained on the chart for twenty-one weeks. [http://acharts.us/song/337 Kanye West - Through the Wire - Music Charts] . aCharts.us. Accessed August 3, 2007.] It performed better on the urban contemporary charts, reaching number eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number four on the Hot Rap Tracks. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?JSESSIONID=1GN7GyMQvQ0Ttvw2hW7YNgMG9SMg0J0sTSJqDNS0bZQ1Zsp5v1l7!-1553600588&model.vnuArtistId=322005&model.vnuAlbumId=985033 Artist Chart History] . "Billboard". Accessed August 3, 2007.] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart where it peaked for two weeks and exited the chart after nine weeks. The track charted lower in other European countries, where it reached the top thirty in Ireland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, the top fifty in Belgium and Switzerland, and number sixty-one in Germany. Its maximum peak time in those countries lasted one week. The single entered the New Zealand Singles Chart at number twenty-four and peaked at number sixteen.

Music video

The music video was directed by Coodie and Chike and it premiered in November 2003. [ [http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=39522 Through the wire] . mvdbase. Accessed August 3, 2007.] Kanye West, who financed the video, conceived ideas for the clip after seeing an Adidas advertisement in "BlackBook" magazine. "I don't like gettin' ideas from direct shit," he says. "I like to pull ideas from all the way over here. Sometimes my vision can't be explained in words, 'cause I couldn't have even told you in words how I envisioned that video ending up." [ [http://www.xxlmag.com/Features/2004/0204.SetUp/index.html The Set Up] . "XXL" magazine (March 2004). Accessed August 3, 2007.] [Ryan, Chris (February 9, 2004). [http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/2004/02/kanye_west/ Kanye West] . "Spin" magazine. Accessed August 3, 2007.] Chike recalled the making of the clip saying, "one day Coodie calls me out the blue about a concept he and Kanye had for a video revolving around Polaroid snapshots. I was leaving work at 7 PM only to come back at 10 PM, work all night then go home at 7 AM".Bolden, Janeé (November 28, 2005). [http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/7917 Kanye West's Video Directors Coodie and Chike] . SOHH. Accessed August 3, 2007.] Coodie stated that "If we would have wrote a treatment" for the video, "they would have shot that down. They had to see it to understand. Otherwise they'd have said, 'No, Kanye should be rapping at a party, with lots of girls poolside'". It was awarded the Video of the Year at the 2004 Source Hip Hop Awards. [ [http://www.blackfilm.com/20050715/features/nooniegstorynews.shtml The Noonie G. Story] . Black Film (July 19, 2005). Accessed August 3, 2007.]

Track listing

CD single [ [http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/west_kanye/albums.jhtml?albumId=739548 Kanye West | Through the Wire | Album] . MTV. Accessed October 24, 2007.]
#"Through the Wire"
#"Through the Wire (instrumental)"
#Two Words (main)"
#"Two Words (clean)"
#"Two Words (instrumental)"

UK CD single [ [http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/west_kanye/albums.jhtml?albumId=754869 Kanye West | Through the Wire UK CD | Album] . MTV. Accessed October 24, 2007.]
#"Through the Wire (radio edit)"
#"Two Words (radio edit)"
#"Through the Wire (instrumental)"
#"Through the Wire (multimedia track)"

Personnel

Information taken from "The College Dropout" liner notes.
*Songwriters: Kanye West, David Foster, Tom Keane, Cynthia Weil
*Record producer: Kanye West
*Recording engineer: Francis Graham
*Mix engineer: Manny Marroquin

Charts

References

External links

* [http://www.kanyewest.com/ Kanye West's official site]
* [http://music.yahoo.com/Kanye-West/Through-The-Wire/lyrics/2093681 "Through the Wire" lyrics]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvb-1wjAtk4 "Through the Wire" music video]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9CqPDaCGU8 Making of "Through the Wire"]