10 Times Kanye West Changed the Meaning of a Sample
Ever since The College Dropout, Kanye West has been chopping and distorting samples so that the lyrics we hear are much different from what was originally sung. Here are 10 examples of Kanye changing the meaning of lyrics through tricks in the production process.
What we hear: “Through the wire”
Meaning: Kanye uses through the wire to describe recording this track while his jaw was wired up from surgery following a car accident.
Actual lyrics in the sample (0:57): “Through the fire”
What we hear: “I’ll be late for that”
Actual lyrics in the sample (0:22): “I’ll erase away, your pain”
How it’s done: Kanye adds extremely quiet backup vocals that sing, “I’ll be late for that” over the original, “I’ll erase away.” This along with the context of the song make it sounds like that’s what the sample is actually saying.
What we hear: “She take my money, when I’m in need. Yeah she’s a triflin’, friend indeed.”
Actual lyrics in the sample (0:22): “She give me money, when I’m in need. Yeah she’s a kind of, friend indeed.”
How it’s done: In the intro, Jamie Foxx sings a new version of the lyrics with the exact opposite meaning.
What we hear: “I smile when roses come to see me”
Meaning: Describing his family visiting his grandmother in the hospital, Kanye says right before the sample comes in, “instead of sending flowers, we the roses.”
Actual lyrics in the sample (2:02): “I smile when Rosie comes to see me"
How it’s done: Kanye adds vocals on top of the sample to sing, “I smile when roses come to see me,” changing the meaning of Rosie from a girl to Kanye’s family instead.
What we hear: “30 hours”
Meaning: Referring to the 30 hour drive between LA and Chicago.
Actual lyrics in the sample: “Baby lion, where the islands go”
How it’s done: Kanye chops out “where the islands” and sings “30 hours” over it to make it sounds like the latter lyrics.
What we hear: “Drunk and hot girls”
Actual lyrics in the sample (0:52): “Drunky hot bowls”
What we hear: “Wished I had told, ooh was the only one. But it’s too late, it’s too late, he’s gone.”
Actual lyrics in the sample (0:00): “Wished I had told her, ooh she was my only one. But it's too late, it's too late, she’s gone.”
How it’s done: By cutting out millisecond portions of the sample, he removes “her,” “she,” and “my” from the first line, and turns “she’s gone” into “he’s gone.”
What we hear: “Lit for your love”
Actual lyrics in the sample (1:03): “Live for your love”
What we hear: “I’m lost in the world”
Actual lyrics in the sample (0:00): “I’m up in the woods”
What we hear: “I can’t stand it more”
Actual lyrics in the sample (2:07): “I can’t study war”