"Drive Slow" 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 second studio album, ''

Late Registration ''Late Registration'' is the second studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions ...

'' (2005). The song features guest appearances from fellow rappers

Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse Records, and has released several albums under the label and collabo ...

and GLC, and additional vocals by American recording artist Tony "Penafire" Williams. It was produced by West, who wrote the song alongside the featured artists. The song was released on a

12" vinyl The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...

on June 6, 2006 by

Roc-A-Fella 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 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 ...

as the fifth and final

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from the album. A hip hop track, it contains elements of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

. The song features a

sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for Ray Charles ...

's cover version of "

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the ...

". The lyrics of the song use

car culture Since the start of the twentieth century, the role of cars has become highly important, though controversial. They are used throughout the world and have become the most popular mode of transport in many of the more developed countries. In dev ...

for a metaphor discussing people's fast-paced lifestyles, and also give warnings of certain dangers. "Drive Slow" 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 ...

, frequently being praised for its lyrical content. Some highlighted Paul Wall's verse, while other critics complimented the production. Despite being acclaimed, the song did not receive significant

airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day ( spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in ...

. It has been certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

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). West performed the song for his debut live album, ''

Late Orchestration ''Late Orchestration'' is a live album by American rapper and producer Kanye West, released on April 24, 2006, on Mercury Records. The album features recordings of live renditions of songs derived from his first two studio albums, ''The College ...

'' (2006). A remix of "Drive Slow" was recorded, which includes a feature from rapper T.I. After receiving a call from West, he recorded his verse for the remix. 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 ...

premiered via

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, though was never released. In the video, Mali drives West around the neon lights of the

Fremont Street Experience The Fremont Street Experience (FSE) is a pedestrian mall and attraction in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The FSE occupies the westernmost five blocks of Fremont Street, including the area known for years as "Glitter Gulch", and portions of some o ...

downtown Las Vegas Downtown Las Vegas (commonly abbreviated as DTLV) is the central business district and historic center of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the original townsite, and the Downtown gaming area was the primary gambling district of Las Vegas prior to the S ...

. West, Paul Wall, GLC, and T.I. performed the remix at

Power 106 KPWR (105.9 FM) – branded as ''Power 106'' – is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. KPWR is owned and operated by Meruelo Group and airs a Rhythmic Hot AC format. KPWR's studi ...

's Powerhouse 2006 event.

Background and recording

revealed that his verse on "Drive Slow" was originally the first verse the rapper wrote for his

" Sittin' Sidewayz" (2005). However, he thought the rhymes "didn't really go hand-in-hand with that beat" despite liking them, and decided to save the verse for a future collaboration with "someone big like

Slim Thug Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1980), better known by his stage name Slim Thug, is an American rapper. He initially gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the hit single by rapper Mike Jones, " Still Tippin'". In July 2005, ...

". After he had made grills for West and been in a

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

studio with him, Paul Wall ended up connecting with him for a collaboration. He admitted that the two of them collaborating on a song "was unbelievable" due to West's iconic status, recalling him and a friend being confronted by two detectives as he got off the plane at

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...

(LAX) to meet up with West. Paul Wall elaborated, explaining because of them not having "anything illegal" in their bags that they questioned if the detectives were "for real" and said he expected "to get ''

Punk'd ''Punk'd'' is an American hidden camera–practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003. It was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, with Kutcher serving as producer and host. It bears a resemblance to both ...

''". Later, the driver of his car to the studio was pulled over by a police officer for skipping a red light while Paul Wall was in the back seat and he confessed to thinking, "They didn't get me in the airport because how I handled them, but now they playing. They really punking me." Paul Wall revealed that he persuaded the officer to let him leave by saying he was late for a studio session with West and the officer eventually let him go to the studio while telling him, "This has nothing to do with you." After the collaboration had been recorded, Paul Wall recalled that he did not believe it was included on ''Late Registration'' until

DJ Drama Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists includi ...

contacted him. In June 2005, it was reported that British rapper M.I.A. had been previously slated to appear on the album before its final track listing revealed her not featured. West announced that she declined the opportunity to collaborate with him, due to her being "really busy;" M.I.A.'s schedule included her releasing multiple projects and promoting her single " Galang" (2003). He had requested her to feature on "Drive Slow", though Paul Wall filled in for her appearance. Alongside him, the song features GLC and contains additional vocals from Tony "Penafire" Williams. West solely handled the production of the song and co-wrote it with Paul Wall and GLC. Explaining the song during a listening session for the album in June 2005, West said: "This is one of my favourite tracks; that's my '

Big Pimpin' "Big Pimpin'" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on April 11, 2000 as the third and final single from his fourth studio album '' Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter'' (1999). It features a guest appearance from Southern hip hop ...

'." With its light

groove Groove or Grooves may refer to: Music * Groove (music) * Groove (drumming) * The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s * The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station * Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station * ...

, the song significantly marked West giving a "cautionary rap" to those who came from his area.

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Drive Slow" is a hip hop track, with

syrup In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved suga ...

influences. The track includes elements of

, which was described as being mashed with "narcotic funk" by ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cr ...

''. The song contains a looped

of the

alto sax The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B t ...

from a

recording of a cover version of "

" by the Canadian band

Skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...

. The track features a light beat groove. Paul Wall contributes one verse, with him rapping 16 lines. For the last 30 seconds of "Drive Slow", the track is

chopped and screwed Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a music genre and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and deejaying. It developed in the Houston hip hop scene in the early 1990s by D ...

; the speed slows down to 16 revolutions per minute (RPM). In the lyrics,

is used to create a metaphor about living a fast lifestyle. The lyrics also provide warnings of the dangers brought on by fame, wealth, and luxury. West starts the song by recalling versions of childhood stories, which include him raving about an American car driver named Mali, as he reminiscences on being young, broke and ambitious, before the featured artists start rapping. In a performance that was called "hypnotic" by ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

'', Paul Wall expresses his love for candy paint and vintage rims. Certain lyrics of the song give an endorsement to

kerb crawling Clients of prostitutes or sex workers are sometimes known as ''johns'' or ''tricks'' in North America and ''punters'' in Britain and Ireland. In common parlance among prostitutes as well as with others, the act of negotiating and then engaging wi ...

Release and reception

On August 30, 2005, "Drive Slow" was released as the sixth track on West's second studio album ''Late Registration''. Prior to release, the song had been played during a listening session for the album at

Sony Music Studios Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

on August 5, 2005. The song was later included as the eleventh track on Paul Wall's second studio album ''The Peoples Champ'', released on September 13, 2005. On June 6, 2006, a

was released for the song in the United States, through

and

. "Drive Slow" was the

B-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 ...

to the vinyl, while fellow album track "We Major" was the A-side. The song had a lack of

, which West himself admitted. On September 1, 2021, "Drive Slow" was awarded a

gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

(RIAA) for amassing 500,000 certified units in the US. "Drive Slow" was met with universal acclaim from

, who generally praised the lyrical content. Writing for ''Blender'', Jonah Weiner lauded the song as the album's "most dynamic paradox", calling it a "salute to car culture" while praising Paul Wall's verse and West's production. Sean Fennessey of ''

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 ...

'' labeled the song "woozy" and complimented the verse from Paul Wall, highlighting his lyricism. ''

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

'' reviewer Matty G named the song one of the highlights of ''Late Registration'', admitting that it gives some people "what will probably be their first taste of screw music" while hailing Paul Wall's feature for blending with the beat. ''

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 ...

'' critic David Browne opined that the song "starts with West spinning childhood stories", before "guest rappers overtake him". Comparing "Drive Slow" to fellow album track "Crack Music", ''

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

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...

said the lyrics "initially offer a cheerful endorsement of kerb crawling" before the song is chopped and screwed. Petridis admitted that the technique being used "entirely changes the song's mood" and concluded by saying the song suggests West "effortlessly outstripping his peers" with "more ideas, better lyrics, bigger hooks, greater depth". In ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.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) by reflecting on when he was "young, broke and ambitious". Some reviewers directed praise specifically towards the production.

Nathan Rabin Nathan Rabin (; born April 24, 1976) is an American film and music critic. Rabin was the first head writer for '' The A.V. Club'', a position he held until he left the ''Onion'' organization in 2013.

from ''The A.V. Club'' commented that the song contains "strange yet hypnotic mashing of jazzy film-noir atmospherics and screwed-up narcotic funk", which he stated "amply" rewards repeated listens. In a review of ''Late Registration'' for ''

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 ...

'',

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

cited the song as being among the "secret brilliance" and called it a "star-as-shorty reminiscence" that "winds down into a dire fog". Eric Henderson of ''

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 ...

'' analyzed that the song's speed is cranked down "in a furtive nod to the 'chopped and screwed' craze", which de-emphasizes "the sound's druggy haze" while "seemingly aiming for a thoughtful brood". He continued, describing the chopping and screwing as a transgression that "explains why most of the pop-cultural cognoscenti are feeling the itch to

rewire ReWire is a software protocol, jointly developed by Propellerhead and Steinberg, allowing remote control and data transfer among digital audio editing and related software. Originally appearing in the ReBirth software synthesizer in 1998, the pr ...

est'sjaw". ''Prefix Mag'' writer Matthew Gastieir commended the song's production, noting it for being "where Kanye's already syrupy laid-back jazz meets Screw". For ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

'',

Josh Tyrangiel Josh Tyrangiel is an American journalist. He was previously the deputy managing editor of ''TIME'' magazine and an editor at ''Bloomberg Businessweek''.Stephanie Clifford (November 17, 2009"Josh Tyrangiel Named Editor of BusinessWeek"/ref> In Ju ...

selected the song as one of the album's best tracks.

Live performances and appearances in media

On September 29, 2005, West delivered a performance of the song at Abbey Road Studios in London for his debut live album ''

'' (2006). While showcasing artists signed to his

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...

GOOD Music GOOD Music (also known simply as GOOD, stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with t ...

, West performed the song with GLC for

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

(SXSW) at the Levi's/ Fader Fort on March 21, 2009. Early copies of ''The Peoples Champ'' were distributed with a bonus disc, which included an extended version of "Drive Slow". In 2008, American record producer J. R. Rotem used a vocal sample of the song to produce rapper

The Game The Game or The Games may refer to: Sports and games * The Game (dice game) (German: ''Das Spiel''), a dice game designed by Reinhold Wittig * The Game (mind game), a mind game, the objective of which is to avoid thinking about The Game itself * ...

's track "LAX Files" from his third studio album ''

LAX Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the We ...

''.

Remix

The remix of "Drive Slow" features a guest appearance by rapper T.I. Discussing the collaboration, West called T.I. "the hottest rapper out". The rapper recounted receiving a call from West and being asked to get on the song with a verse, while he admitted it felt strange that "the song was already five, six minutes long". T.I. said he questioned West about what he should do, who reassured him that he only needed to contribute a verse; the rapper then recorded his verse. Despite being one that loves the remix, T.I. recalled not having heard it played in full often, further stating: "I've never heard anywhere — any club, any radio station — the whole thing played from start to finish and I'm the last the verse aughs" He went on to compare the remix to fellow rapper

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...

's " Control" (2013) that features

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

and

Jay Electronica Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah (born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford; September 19, 1976), known professionally as Jay Electronica (stylized as J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A), is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in New Orleans, he ...

, explaining that nobody has "heard Jay Electronica's verse yet" on the over 7–minutes long track. In the lyrics, T.I. raps reflectively. An accompanying

, directed by West collaborator

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 ...

, premiered on

; however, the video did not have an official release. Paul Wall said of his collaboration with Williams that it is "a highlight of any artis 'scareer". T.I. imposed the question to him of, "What are you going to do with this mini movie? This is a short film." It was filmed in

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...

and at the

, in Nevada. The music video features cameos from Paul Wall and T.I. The video shows cars in the neon lights of Las Vegas throughout. Mali drives West around, after she was tricked into doing so by him and Williams. At two minutes and four seconds in, the

Reno Arch The Reno Arch is an iconic landmark in Reno, Nevada spanning Virginia Street at the intersection with Commercial Row. The current sign is the third version of the arch. It is owned and operated by the City of Reno. The original arch was built ...

is shown. To further promote the remix, West, Paul Wall, GLC, and T.I. performed it live at

's summer fest Powerhouse 2006. For the performance, T.I. arrived in a style reminiscent of the backpacker era of the early 1990s, wearing

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his c ...

clothing and a leather backpack.

Track listing

US 12" vinyl ;A-side #"We Major" (Clean) #"We Major" (Dirty) #"We Major" (Instrumental) ;B-side #"Drive Slow" (Clean) #"Drive Slow" (Dirty) #"Drive Slow" (Instrumental)

Credits and personnel

Information taken from ''Late Registration'' liner notes. Recording * Recorded at

The Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blond ...

(Hollywood, CA) and

Chalice Recording Studios Chalice Recording Studio is located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. Chalice opened in 2002 and is known for its elaborate interior decor and its large collection of rare and vintage analog recording equipment. When Chalice ...

(Hollywood, CA) * Mixed at

(Hollywood, CA) Personnel *

songwriter, producer * Paul Slayton songwriter * Leonard Harris songwriter *

Anthony Kilhoffer Anthony Kilhoffer is an American hip hop record producer, songwriter and engineer, best known for his collaborations with Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Keyshia Cole and John Legend. Select discography Albums 2020s *'' Free The Beast(album)'' - B-Free 201 ...

recorder * Richard Reitz recorder, assistant engineer * Andrew Dawson recorder * Mike Dean mix engineer * Nate Connelly assistant engineer * Mike Mo assistant engineer * Tony "Penafire" Williams additional vocals

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

"Drive Slow" Lyrics
at

(archived from 2009) {{authority control 2005 songs 2006 singles Kanye West songs Music videos directed by Hype Williams Paul Wall songs Roc-A-Fella Records singles Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Paul Wall