All throughout his career, Kanye West has told everybody that would listen that he is a genius. Always so sure of his talents and his decision-making, it would be hard to imagine that West has ever regretted releasing any of the songs or albums that he did, or that he’d ever dislike a song he’s made. But, it just so happens that one of his most accomplished singles ever was one of his least favorite songs he’s ever made.
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A month before he put out his second studio album Late Registration in August 2005, which notched his second straight Grammy award for Best Rap Album, West dropped “Gold Digger,” a promotional single for the LP, featuring Jamie Foxx. Originally written for Chicago-based singer-rapper Shawnna, which we noted in our “Did You Know?” story in May, “Gold Digger” would not only peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 but would go on to become West’s third most successful song of his catalog, currently boasting 8x platinum certification by RIAA. However, it turned out that he did not even like that song all that much.
[RELATED: Did You Know? Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” Was Written for Another Artist]
In 2013, about four months after the release of his polarizing yet incredibly forward-thinking sixth album Yeezus, West met up with at-the-time BBC Radio host Zane Low for an interview. Still iconic for his Lady Gaga rant and “I am a God” proclamation, the conversation also included West giving his thoughts about “Gold Digger.” While discussing how investing his own money in himself has always been his forte, he revealed that he was never too enthusiastic about “Gold Digger,” but realized its potential to be a smash hit and eventually help his bank account in the long run.
“Then I paid my own money that I get paid for doing ‘Gold Digger,’ which I never really liked that song but I always knew I would get paid for doing Gold Digger,” he rambled to Lowe.
Success stories like “Gold Digger,” which can still be heard playing in bars, clubs, and parties across the world two decades later, make it easier to see why West thinks of himself as a genius. With its addicting hook from Foxx and raunchy verses from West, “Gold Digger” will go down as one of the supreme highlights of the Chi-town icon’s catalog, regardless of how he feels about it.
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