This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Gold Digger"
Artwork depicting a woman as a "gold digger"
Cover art for the CD release of "Gold Digger"
Single by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
from the album Late Registration
ReleasedJuly 5, 2005 (2005-07-05)
Recorded2004–2005
Studio
Genre Pop rap
Length3:28
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kanye West singles chronology
" Go!"
(2005)
"Gold Digger"
(2005)
" Number One"
(2005)
Jamie Foxx singles chronology
" Slow Jamz"
(2003)
"Gold Digger"
(2005)
" Extravaganza"
(2005)
Music video
"Gold Digger" on YouTube

"Gold Digger" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring singer Jamie Foxx, from West's second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song includes additional vocals from Plain Pat and Don C. West created the beat in Atlanta. He and Jon Brion produced the song. It was originally set to be recorded for Shawnna's debut studio album, Worth Tha Weight (2004), but the song was later passed on to West. On July 5, 2005, it was released to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the second single from West's album. The song set a record for the most digital downloads in a week, selling over 80,000.

A pop rap song, "Gold Digger" samples Ray Charles's " I Got a Woman" (1954), mainly the line "she give me money when I'm in need". Lyrically, Foxx sets the stage by detailing how he was taken by a gold digger and West raps in each verse about the behaviors and characteristics of one, alluding to a woman who tricked him. The song received widespread acclaim from music critics, who often praised the composition. Some complimented the lyrical content and Foxx's feature, while a few critics highlighted the sample. The song was named to year-end lists for 2005 by multiple publications, including Eye Weekly, NME, and Pazz & Jop, the latter of which it was voted the single of the year. Numerous outlets have placed it on retrospective lists, such as VH1 and Rolling Stone. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the song won Best Rap Solo Performance and also received a nomination for Record of the Year.

"Gold Digger" topped the US Billboard Hot 100, ARIA Singles Chart, and NZ Singles Chart, becoming West's second number-one single on the Hot 100, and his first on the latter two charts. The song reached the top 50 in nine other countries, such as Ireland and the United Kingdom. On Billboard's 60th anniversary in 2018, it was ranked the 70th biggest Hot 100 hit of all time. Having since been certified octuple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the song places among the highest certified digital singles in the US. It has also been awarded quadruple and triple platinum certifications in Australia and the UK by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively.

An accompanying music video was released in the summer of 2005, directed by Hype Williams. Throughout the video, pin-up girls and moving magazine covers appear alongside West and Foxx. It was nominated in multiple categories at 2006 MTV award shows, including Best Male Video and Favorite Video at the MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Asia Awards, respectively. West performed the song at the MTV Video Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Brit Awards and Saturday Night Live. In retrospect, West admitted he did not like "Gold Digger" and only made the song to earn money. It was covered live by the Automatic on numerous occasions, which included the 2006 Reading and Leeds Festivals. The song was covered by Will Schuester and New Directions for the second episode of Glee, " Showmance" (2009).

Background and recording

"Gold Digger" includes a sample of " I Got a Woman" by Ray Charles, as well as an interpolation from Jamie Foxx that was recorded due to uncertainty about the sample getting clearance.

West produced "Gold Digger" with record producer and composer Jon Brion. [1] Brion had achieved fame from his distinctive production work for artists and film scores for auteurs, though was lacking experience in hip hop. West became a fan of singer-songwriter Fiona Apple for whom Brion had produced; while watching the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he appreciated Brion's score. The pair became connected via their mutual friend Rick Rubin; West quickly phoned Brion and they instantly formed chemistry with each other. West enlisted him to work on Late Registration, marking Brion's first involvement in a hip hop project, with the decision creating confusion across his fanbase. Brion imagined people commenting that West has "gone off his rocker" and envisioning him making "an art record with some crazy, left-field music guy", clarifying this not to be "the case whatsoever". [2] The producer recalled West taking charge of production with his strong vision and mentioned the rapper's "quick, intuitive decisions". [2]

In late 2003, West previewed an early version of "Gold Digger" with singer John Legend in New York City (NYC). [3] [4] Many surmised that West conceived the song after watching Foxx's portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film Ray, contrary to how he actually created the beat at Ludacris' house in Atlanta, Georgia, before the film's creation had begun. [5] West originally came up with the song for Shawnna's 2004 debut studio album Worth Tha Weight, though she passed it on to him; his A&R representative Plain Pat said her reasoning was unknown. The chorus was originally written by West from a female's point of view, until West wrote the first two verses for himself in 2004, the second of which was performed live by him early that year when touring for his debut album The College Dropout. West initially planned to re-use a verse from his unreleased track "Drop Dead Gorgeous" for the third verse, before penning a new verse shortly before the release of "Gold Digger". Plain Pat remembered the song's mastering location and regular studio being "right next to each other" at Sony Music Studios in NYC, saying that the team went "back and forth for a week" as they walked over to master content after it was recorded and the process ended when "we cut the final part". [5]

During West's meeting with Canadian DJ A-Trak at Sasquatch! Music Festival, the rapper presented a rough version of the song to him. West felt the song was too "poppy" and sought out a style more akin to hip hop, to which A-Trak reacted by coming up with the idea of adding scratches, with confidence of what sample should be used. West reacted positively to the idea and it was mentioned when recording of the song would soon be finished in Los Angeles; the DJ recorded the scratches very late in the process, after the rapper flew him out to the county. [6] After West watched Ray with his friend John Mayer, he thought of the idea to have Foxx sing an interpolation of Charles's " I Got a Woman" (1954) in place of the song's initial sample, in case it failed to be cleared. He recorded many takes; one version featured him singing from start to finish, but it was retracted since his vocals did not match properly with the instrumentation. The singer once recorded an explicit ad-lib, though he demanded for it not to be used. [5] Brion composed some extra sounds for "Gold Digger" to finish the basic track during his first session with West, recalling that the rapper was clearly aware of what elements he liked and how he complied: "Great, we'll focus on those things." [2] [5] A sample of "I Got a Woman" was used for the final version, alongside Foxx's interpolation. [1] [7]

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Gold Digger" is a bouncy pop rap song, having a basic sound in contrast to the majority of Late Registration. [8] [9] The song is built around a looped sample of "I Got a Woman", [10] [11] written by Renald Richard and its performer Ray Charles. [1] "Gold Digger" prominently features handclaps and drums [7] [10] [12] that recycle patterns from The College Dropout track "Get Em High". [13] [14] The song begins with Foxx's interpolation of "I Got a Woman"; he first sings the line "She takes my mon-eeee". [5] [7] [11] It features scratches of a "get down" vocal that were contributed by A-Trak, appearing within the choruses. [1] [6] A synth coda is also included on the track, [15] as well as additional vocals by Plain Pat and Don C. [1]

In the lyrics of the song, West raps about being tricked by a woman. [7] [8] West spins the originally written hook "I'm not sayin' I'm a gold digger, but I ain't messin' with no broke niggas", rapping: "I ain't saying she's a gold digger/But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas!" [5] [11] He accompanies the scratches during the choruses, telling the girl in question to "go ’head, girl, go ‘head, get down", as if playing along with her money-scheming games. [6] West jokes about money-grabbing groupies on the song, as well as requesting for a prenup chant, saying “…we want prenup! Yeah, it’s something that you got to have, ‘cause when she leaves your ass, she’s gonna leave with half [of your income]”. [11] [16] Later on, West lets out the story of a black man that breaks up with a black woman for a white girl after becoming wealthy. [7] [17]

Release

"Gold Digger" was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio stations as the second single from the album on July 5, 2005, through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam. [18] [19] On August 2, a 12" vinyl was released for the song by Roc-A-Fella. [20] "Gold Digger" was eventually included as the fourth track on West's second studio album Late Registration on August 30, 2005. [21] On September 19, the song was released on a CD maxi single across Europe, through Roc-A-Fella. [22] A CD was later issued for it in France on November 27, 2005, by Def Jam. [23]

When released on the album, the song was made available for digital download. [24] "Gold Digger" sold over 80,000 digital downloads through legal music services, such as iTunes and Napster, within a week. [24] [25] At the time, the song broke the record for the most digital downloads in one week and also scored the fastest download sales ever, feats that were both previously held by Gwen Stefani's " Hollaback Girl" (2005). [24] [25] It was the top selling song on iTunes in 2005. [26] In 2018, "Gold Digger" was streamed 21.2 million times in the United Kingdom, ranking as the most streamed song from 2005 in the country. [27]

Reception

Jamie Foxx mirror image from 2005
Several reviewers were fond of Foxx's vocals.

The song was met with widespread acclaim from music critics, mainly being praised for its composition. Jonah Weiner of Blender hailed "Gold Digger" as the album's best song, depicting it as letting out "the levels of talent separating West from that guy at the 7-Eleven". [10] He noted how West crafted "a thumping beat" from handclaps and the Charles sample, over which he "jokes about greedy groupies". [10] The Observer writer Kitty Empire saw the song as going against the elaborate style of most of Late Registration, saying it is "deliriously straight up and bouncy". [9] Sean Fennessey of Pitchfork stated that the song is simple "but not subtle", delving strongly into obviousness with Foxx's interpolation of Charles and recycled drums, but "succeeding with humor and reverence". [13] Writing for Uncut, Simon Reynolds commented that although he would have been fond of it sampling Shirley Bassey's " Goldfinger" (1964), the "Charles loop powers this gritty groove". [11] Reynolds asserted that the beginning has "a faux-blues whinge" from Foxx, while West later observes with dry humor. [11]

The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis observed that the song features "the odd sound" of Foxx's Oscar-winning impersonation of Charles, alongside the singer being sampled. [28] USA Today's Steve Jones appreciated the song's humor, pointing out that West speaks of "women who will burn a hole in a man's pocket" beside the Charles sample that is accompanied by Foxx impersonating him. [29] In Tiny Mix Tapes, Matty G vastly preferred the singer's interpolation of Charles to his past imitation of Al Green. [30] At the Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn wrote that the song is self-explanatory and has a theme of "marvelous mischievousness", [31] similarly to how Rolling Stone reviewer Rob Sheffield viewed West as using it to indulge his style of humor. [32] Jon Pareles from The New York Times praised West's "cool arrogance" on the song, noticing him funnily commanding a chant. [16] Azeem Ahmad voiced a less positive response in musicOMH, commenting that it "hits you with standard pigeon bashing" like a male version of girl group TLC's " No Scrubs" (1999), though affirmed the Charles sample provides "the feel of a rejuvenated Negro Spiritual song". [33] Entertainment Weekly journalist David Browne saw an example of predictable paranoia from West in him "warning against a 'Gold Digger'" over a "taut, grunting beat" and a sample of Charles. [34] Veteran critic Robert Christgau wrote for The Village Voice that the song is "marked by [a] cognitively dissonant" Foxx's interpolation of the work also sampled, while "misogynistic clichés" are laid on until "the oppressed black male" West defends suddenly abandons a non-gold digger for a white woman. [17]

Copyright dispute

In April 2013, singer David Pryor's children Trena Steward and Lorenzo Pryor filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against West for allegedly sampling the "get down" chants from his band Thunder & Lightning's 1974 track "Bumpin' Bus Stop" on "Gold Digger" and also reciting the line on the chorus. [35] [36] The lawsuit reportedly acknowledged the song had been released back in 2005, though mentioned that David Pryor was in a convalescent hospital then with harsh mental and physical disabilities, such as senile dementia and prostate cancer. David possessing no knowledge of his voice having been exploited for commercial profit once he died in 2006 was also acknowledged, as well as how Steward and Lorenzo Pryor lacked the information to file the lawsuit until 2012. [36] The two asked the judges to halt sales of the song, further requesting for "millions of dollars" in royalties. [35] West and various record labels, including Roc-A-Fella and The Island Def Jam Music Group, were accused of being part of a 15-year "illegal copyright infringement scheme and criminal enterprise involving the unauthorized, willful sampling of plaintiffs original copyrighted music on a massive scale" in the lawsuit. [35] In August 2014, California federal judge Beverly Reid O'Connell threw out the majority of the claims, insisting that distorted short samples meant the work would not easily be recognized. [37]

Accolades

In the 2005 edition of Shea Serrano's The Rap Year Book, "Gold Digger" was listed as the most important song of the year. [38] Eye Weekly named the song the best single of 2005, with James Simons highlighting West's "good-natured humour and last-line admission of male guilt". [12] He also said people seemed to be too excited by "the squawking Ray Charles sample and characteristic claps" to notice how rap's apparent savior "had just added to [its] overflowing Trifling Bitch Songbook", concluding that "when Kanye drops gold like this, everyone digs it". [12] The song was voted in at number one on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll for 2005, scoring 145 points. [39] The results of a poll taken by Eye Weekly of critics across Canada that year chose it as the second best single, with 1,442 points. [40] On a Rolling Stone readers' poll, the song was voted the third best single of 2005. [41] Dagsavisen gave the song the same ranking for the year, while it was placed fourth on NME's list of the best tracks. [42] [43] On other lists of 2005's best singles, the song was ranked at number 10 by Zündfunk [ de], [44] number 12 by Playlouder, [8] and number 14 by Stylus Magazine. [45]

In the 2014 issue of XXL that celebrated 40 years of hip hop, the song was chosen as one of the five best singles of 2005. [46] On Entertainment Weekly's list of the best single each year from 1990 to 2014, it was named the best of 2005. [47] To celebrate their 16-year anniversary in 2016, NPR selected a favorite song from each year since they started, picking "Gold Digger" for 2005. [48] In 2008, the track was ranked at number 20 on VH1's list of the greatest hip hop songs ever. [49] The track was selected as the sixth best song of the 2000s decade by the network, while Rolling Stone picked it as the decade's 29th best. [50] [51] "Gold Digger" was placed at numbers 34 and 40 on respective lists of the best songs of the 2000s by Slant Magazine and NME. [52] [53]

In 2018, Rolling Stone named the song the 36th greatest of the 21st century. [54] Highsnobiety ranked it as West's fifth best song two years later; Bianca said his "innate musical knowledge" is demonstrated via Foxx's interpolation of Charles's work and "a surprise synth-coda" that appears to nod to Stevie Wonder's " Superstition" (1972). [15] In 2014, NME listed the track as the 93rd greatest song of all time, [55] while it was also hailed as one of the greatest of all time by Time in 2011. [7] "Gold Digger" is included in the 2015 version of Robert Dimery's book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. [56] The song won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2006 Grammy Awards, standing as one of West's three wins there. [57] At the same ceremony, the song received a nomination for Record of the Year, an award it ultimately lost to Dixie Chicks's " Not Ready to Make Nice". [58] In 2006, the song was awarded Best Collaboration and Hot Rap Track at the BET Awards and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, respectively. [59] [60]

Awards and nominations for "Gold Digger"
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2005 Kiss Awards Most Wanted Download Nominated [61]
Vibe Awards Coolest Collabo Nominated [62]
2006 BET Awards Best Collaboration Won [59]
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song Nominated [63]
Hot Rap Track Won [60]
BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Award Winning Songs Won [64]
Grammy Awards Best Rap Solo Performance Won [57]
Record of the Year Nominated [58]
International Dance Music Awards Best Rap/Hip Hop Dance Track Won [65]
MP3.com Awards Best Single Won [66]
MTV Australia Video Music Awards Song of the Year Nominated [67]
MTV Video Music Awards Ringtone of the Year Nominated [68]
Soul Train Music Awards Best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut Nominated [69]
TEC Awards Record Production/Single or Track Nominated [70]
2007 BMI Pop Awards Award Winning Songs Won [71]

Music video

An accompanying music video debuted in the summer of 2005. [72] It was directed by frequent West collaborator Hype Williams, who also directed the visual for his previous Late Registration single " Diamonds from Sierra Leone". [73] The video was the first of West's to feature cameos from signees to his record label GOOD Music; they further made appearances on his albums and at his shows. [72] It was released to YouTube on June 17, 2009. [74]

Shot in a widescreen letterboxed format and using lighting, the music video begins with a cameo from Foxx and includes prominent appearances from pin-up girls. [75] [76] Fictional moving magazine covers that feature video vixens are also present throughout, interspersed with various colors and scenes of West dancing. [75] [76] GOOD Music artists Consequence and John Legend are both charmed by women that move easily; the former spends his time with one in a dark room. [72] A woman that appears alongside West at points is also show in some shots on her own, during which she acts angrily and holds a bright light that she shakes heavily towards the end. [74]

On a 2018 list of the best music video from each year since 2000, ShortList named the visual the best of 2005, with Niloufar Haidari saying that it "is a joy to watch" because of Foxx's presence and the "exceptional use of colour and lighting". [75] That same year, Complex named the clip as West's 20th best music video. The staff of the magazine praised West's "dance moves" and his "bold color choices", concluding by labeling the video "a perfect match" for "Gold Digger". [76] The music video won the BET Award for Video of the Year at the 2006 BET Awards, and received nominations for both Best Male Video and Best Hip Hop Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. [59] [68] The visual was nominated for Favorite Video at the MTV Asia Awards 2006, alongside garnering nominations for the awards of Best Male Video and Best Hip-Hop Video at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards 2006; it was also nominated in the latter category at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. [67] [77] [78] Also in 2006, the video received a nomination for the solo Best International Video award at the MuchMusic Video Awards, while it was presented with the Michael Jackson award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video at the Soul Train Music Awards. [79] [80]

Commercial performance

Mariah Carey performing for Good Morning America in 2005
"Gold Digger" knocked Mariah Carey's " We Belong Together" off the top spot of the US Billboard Hot 100, though it stood behind the latter as the second longest number-one single of 2005.

"Gold Digger" debuted at number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the issue dated July 30, 2005, before reaching number 19 over a month later. [81] [82] The song then leapt 18 places to top the Hot 100 and end the 14-week number one reign of singer Mariah Carey's " We Belong Together", while blocking her single " Shake It Off" directly from the summit. [82] "Gold Digger" amassed over 80,500 downloads and experienced the largest radio airplay gain for that week, [82] as well as giving West his first number-one single and Foxx his second on the Hot 100. [19] [83] The song spent 10 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, standing as one of the longest reigns in the chart's history as of 2021. [84] [85] This also made the song the second longest number-one of 2005, behind "We Belong Together", and it was dethroned by Chris Brown's single " Run It!". [84] [86] For the year, "Gold Digger" ranked as the sixth most popular song on the Hot 100. [87] By 2009, the song stood as the chart's third biggest hit that was released by The Island Def Jam Music Group. [88] On the decade-end chart for the 2000s, it ranked as the ninth most popular song on the Hot 100. [89] As of May 31, 2018, the song is West's largest hit of all time on the Hot 100, while it stands as the 70th biggest hit across the chart's 65-year history up to that year. [90] [91]

The song entered the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 53 for the issue date of July 16, 2005, [92] while it later went on to reach number three around two months later. [82] The same week as topping the Hot 100, the song rose to number two on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [82] The following week, "Gold Digger" peaked at number one on the chart, a position it spent four weeks at. [93] [94] Simultaneously with its Hot 100 peak, the song shot up from number 94 to the second position on the US Pop 100, setting a record for the chart's largest jump ever. [82] A week later, it peaked at number one on the Pop 100, holding on to this position for 10 weeks. [93] [95] The song also topped the US Hot Rap Songs, Mainstream Top 40, and Rhythmic charts, marking West's first number-one on the second chart. [96] [97] [98] In June 2010, the song was reported to have scored the fifth highest radio audience ever in the United States, with 175.6 million impressions for the week of October 22, 2005. [99] By May 2011, it had sold 3,083,000 copies in the US, standing as West's third song to pass 3 million sales in the country. [100] On September 23, 2020, "Gold Digger" was awarded an octuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for pushing 8,000,000 certified units in the US, ranking among the best-selling digital singles in the country by certification. [101] [102]

In Australia, the song debuted at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart. [103] A week later, it rose to the chart's summit, giving West his first number-one single in Australia and spending three weeks at the position. [104] On December 3, 2015, "Gold Digger" was certified quadruple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 280,000 copies in Australia. [105] The song entered the NZ Singles Chart at number 34 for the issue date of October 24, 2005. [106] It leapt 29 places to number five the next week, hitting number one shortly later on the chart issued November 14, marking West's first single to reach this position in New Zealand and remaining there for one more week. [107] [108] In the song's 22nd and final week on the chart, it was certified gold by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) for selling over 7,500 units in the region. [108] [109]

The song debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, which it lasted for 75 weeks on. [110] [111] As of April 2017, the song stands as the 22nd biggest hip-hop hit of all time in the UK. [112] It ranks as West's most successful song ever on the UK Singles Chart up to October 2019, despite " Stronger" (2007) having charted higher. [113] On September 24, 2021, "Gold Digger" was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shelving 1,800,000 units in the UK. [114] Similarly to its UK peak position, the song reached number three on both the Irish Singles Chart and Scottish Singles Chart. [115] [116] It was less successful in Norway and the Netherlands, peaking at numbers 14 and 20 on the Topp 20 Singles and Dutch Top 40 charts, respectively. [117] [118] The song also hit the top 50 in Sweden, [119] Germany, [120] and Austria. [121] On March 6, 2024, "Gold Digger" received a double platinum certification from IFPI Danmark for 180,000 shipments in Denmark. [122] As of 2021, it is West's biggest song on Billboard and UK Singles chart. [123] [124]

Live performances

West first performed an early sparse version of the track at the 2nd Annual Dynamic Producer Conference in NYC during late 2003, backed by piano from John Legend, who also sang the chorus. [3] [4] [125] West's stage attire included a Reese's Peanut Butter Cups T-shirt, a red hat, and a rucksack. [125] He initiated a call and response during the performance, directly asking the crowd to say "Ohhhhhhh oh". [126] West and Foxx performed the song at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, also dancing on a spinning floor. [127] The rapper commanded the crowd's attention and when he delivered the prenup lyric, money rained over them. [127] [128] West delivered a performance of the song atop a glass riser in the center of the crowd at the 2005 VH1 Hip Hop Honors, for which he wore a sweater and did his backwards dance. [129] He transitioned from performing a melody of it with backing by A-Trak into fellow album track " Touch the Sky" for the premiere of season 31 of Saturday Night Live on October 1, 2005, accompanied by a mini-orchestra. [130] [131]

Kanye West performing at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival.
At Glastonbury in 2015, West's encore included a performance of the song, which he introduced by proclaiming himself "the greatest living rock star on the planet!" [132] [133] [134]

At the 2006 Grammys, West, Foxx, and a marching band performed "Gold Digger". [135] The band marched through the audience and Foxx created excitement, before West made his entrance with a shako on as he carried a baton. [135] West performed a medley of the song, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", and "Touch the Sky" at the 2006 Brit Awards, marking his debut as a performer at the ceremony. [136] While performing, West was backed by 77 dancers covered in gold spray paint. [136] At the 2010 Brit Awards, the performance of "Gold Digger" was nominated for best Brits performance of 30 years. [137] West delivered a performance of it for AOL Sessions, which was included on his 2006 live album Late Orchestration. [138] He performed the track at the 2006 Coachella Festival, introducing it by alluding to the profanity: "White people, this is your only chance to say [the N-word]." [139] On July 1, 2007, West performed the track as the opening number of his set for part 3 of Princess Diana memorial event Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, London. [140] [141] A week later, West performed it during the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. [142] West and Foxx performed the track for a pre- 2007 MTV Music Video Awards show at The Joint in Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. [143] During the performance, the singer gestured towards West and said: "The best MC in the mother fucking [ sic] game." [143] West performed "Gold Digger" at the 2009 Wireless Festival at Hyde Park in London and introduced the track by calling it "the story of my life", rocking his customary aviator shades and black suit jacket for his appearance. [144] He was present on an elevated section of the stage, accompanied by four topless dancers that wore tiaras and body paint. [144]

For his headlining set at the 2011 Coachella Festival, West performed the track. [145] West delivered an abbreviated version of it for a medley of over 10 songs at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief in Madison Square Garden, New York City on December 12, 2012, rocking a Pyrex hoodie and leather kilt while performing. [146] [147] [148] On June 20, 2014, West made an unannounced appearance for Dave Chappelle's comedy show at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, which included a performance of the track. [149] He stopped three quarters of the way into the track, jumping off the stage and leaving the hall. [150] West performed it at the Time 100 Gala as he walked amongst the crowd and interacted with them, giving a fan the microphone at one point. [151] [152] After a pause in his headlining set at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival, West performed the track for an encore. [132] [133] To introduce it, West made a declaration for the night of the festival that may not be possible for him to say 20–40 years later: "You are now watching the greatest living rock star on the planet!" [133] [134] West performed it at the 2015 Pan American Games, omitting any usage of the N-word. [153] On December 10, 2021, West performed the track with an alternate chorus that removed any profanity during a benefit concert with Drake at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for Larry Hoover's jail sentence. [154]

Cover versions and appearances in media

Members of the Automatic from left to right.
The song was covered by the Automatic at multiple concerts, including one at the University of London Union.

On July 24, 2006, Welsh rock band the Automatic performed a cover of "Gold Digger" at the University of London Union, London. Member Alex Pennie delivered the vocals, whereas support band Viva Machine were wrapped in bandages and body–popped into the mosh pit. [155] On August 29, 2006, the Automatic, Capdown, Adequate Seven, and GLC performed the cover at the Reading Festival. [156] In September, it was reported that the band were awaiting permission to include the cover as the B-side to a single. [157] During the first US headlining show of the Automatic's Not Accepted Anywhere album tour at Bowery Ballroom in New York City on July 26, 2007, they performed the cover in a punk style. [158] [159] Pennie returned for the performance after being absent for two songs, shouting the vocals. [159] At the 2007 Get Loaded in the Park festival, the band performed the cover with English musician Newton Faulkner, who contributed vocals and percussive guitar. [160] That same year, a limited edition 7" vinyl was released across the UK for their single " Raoul", featuring a performance of "Gold Digger" from the 2006 Leeds Festival as the B-side. [161] In 2009, characters Will Schuester and New Directions covered the song for American TV series Glee's second episode " Showmance". [162] The cover was released on the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 1 on November 3 of that year, and it reached number 59 on the ARIA Singles Chart. [163] [164]

On October 13, 2012, English singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan covered "Gold Digger" for week two of series 9 of The X Factor, introducing it by recalling her grandmother's death and the family reaction, admitting her own week was bad. [165] [166] [167] According to Spraggan, she covered an upbeat number so people would stop feeling sorry for her after her grandmother's death. [168] Spraggan added guitar for the cover and hip hop models accompanied her, while she was surrounded by mock gold rain. [165] [169] Once the singer finished performing, she opened up to show presenter Dermot O'Leary: "I just wanted people to have a dance and be happy, because I want to be happy too." [165] On September 24, 2015, the second season of American TV series Black-ish premiered with the episode "THE Word", featuring character Jack Johnson covering the song for a school talent show. He delivered the hook with the N-word kept, leading to outrage from the audience and him ultimately being suspended. [170] On November 21, 2015, Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge performed a medley of covers as an encore at Kansas City, Missouri, for their co-headlining CMT on Tour: Suits and Boots, which included a country–styled version of "Gold Digger". [171] [172] [173]

In September 2005, hip hop duo the Legendary K.O. released a song titled " George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" after West's quote that is also sampled. It uses the beat from "Gold Digger", while West and Foxx's vocals are mashed up with the duo's lyrics. [174] [175] The chorus rephrases that of the song: " George Bush ain't a gold digger, but he ain't messin' with no broke niggas." [176] Erykah Badu's 2010 single " Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)" concludes with her muttering the song's hook in the style of a boast, "I ain't messing with no broke nigger." [177] Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe in 2013, West admitted that he "never really" liked "Gold Digger", but knew the song would earn him money. [178]

Track listing

European CD maxi single [22]

  1. "Gold Digger" – 3:29 [a]
  2. " Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 3:35
  3. "We Can Make It Better" – 3:52

Credits and personnel

Information taken from Late Registration liner notes. [1]

Recording

  • Recorded at The Record Plant (Hollywood, CA), Sony Music Studios (NYC), Chalice Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA) and Grandmaster Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA)
  • Mixed at Chalice Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA)

Personnel

  • Kanye West – songwriter, producer
  • Ray Charles – songwriter
  • Renald Richard – songwriter
  • Jon Brion – producer
  • Anthony Kilhoffer – recorder
  • Andrew Dawson – recorder
  • Tom Biller – recorder
  • Mike Dean – mix engineer
  • Richard Reitz – assistant engineer
  • Matt Green – assistant engineer
  • Nate Connelly – assistant engineer
  • Mike Mo – assistant engineer
  • Plain Pat – additional vocals
  • Don C – additional vocals
  • A-Trak – scratches

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Gold Digger"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia ( ARIA) [105] 4× Platinum 280,000
Denmark ( IFPI Danmark) [122] 2× Platinum 180,000
Germany ( BVMI) [204] Gold 150,000
Italy ( FIMI) [205] Gold 25,000
New Zealand ( RMNZ) [109] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom ( BPI) [114] 3× Platinum 1,770,000 [113]
United States ( RIAA) [101] 8× Platinum 8,000,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Gold Digger"
Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
United States July 5, 2005 Rhythmic contemporary radio [18]
Various August 2, 2005 12" vinyl Roc-A-Fella [20]
Europe September 19, 2005 CD maxi single [22]
France November 27, 2005 CD single Def Jam [23]

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ The CD maxi release is one second longer than the album version. [1]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Late Registration (Media notes). Roc-A-Fella Records. 2005.
  2. ^ a b c Perez, Rodrigo (August 12, 2005). "Kanye's Co-Pilot, Jon Brion, Talks About The Making Of Late Registration". MTV. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Rettig, James (March 10, 2015). "Watch Kanye West & John Legend Perform An Early Version Of 'Gold Digger' In Unearthed 2003 Video". Stereogum. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Zo (March 10, 2015). "Kanye West & John Legend Perform 'Gold Digger' ca. 2003". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Reid, Shaheem; Perez, Rodrigo (February 1, 2006). "Road To The Grammys: The Making Of Kanye West's 'Gold Digger'". MTV. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  6. ^ a b c Minsker, Evan (March 10, 2015). "A-Trak Reveals Process Behind Kanye West Songs 'Gold Digger', 'Stronger', 'Robocop' on Genius". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Suddath, Claire (October 24, 2011). "'Gold Digger' (featuring Jamie Foxx) – 100 Greatest Popular Songs". Time. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "top50 singles 2005". Playlouder. Archived from the original on June 27, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (August 28, 2005). "West Ends the Wait". The Observer. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2005.
  10. ^ a b c d Weiner, Jonah (September 2005). "Kanye West: Late Registration". Blender. No. 40. p. 130. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Reynolds, Simon (July 28, 2005). "Kanye West – Late Registration". Uncut. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c "Music Week Best Singles". Eye Weekly. December 29, 2005. Archived from the original on January 1, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Fennessey, Sean (August 25, 2005). "Kanye West: Late Registration". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  14. ^ Caramanica, Jon (September 2005). "The Man Who Would Be King". Spin. Vol. 21, no. 9. ISSN  0886-3032. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ a b Indiana, Jake (February 27, 2020). "The 40 Best Kanye West Songs, an Official Ranking". Highsnobiety. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (August 29, 2005). "Review: Late Registration". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (August 30, 2005). "Growing by Degrees". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  18. ^ a b "The best use their best" (PDF). Radio & Records. July 1, 2005. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2022 – via World Radio History.
  19. ^ a b Miss2Bees (July 5, 2017). "Kanye West's 'Gold Digger' Was Released 12 Years Ago Today". The Source. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)
  20. ^ a b "Gold Digger – Kanye West". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  21. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Late Registration – Kanye West". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c "Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". spanishcharts.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "Gold Digger: Kanye West, Jamie Foxx: CD et Vinyles" (in French). Amazon.fr. ASIN  B000BRFAMU. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  24. ^ a b c "Blunt's Edge". Billboard. September 17, 2005. p. 45. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Google Books.
  25. ^ a b "Throwback: Kanye West – 'Gold Digger'". Big Top 40. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  26. ^ "A decade of iTunes". Stuff. April 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  27. ^ Savage, Mark (April 11, 2019). "The UK's most-streamed songs may surprise you". BBC News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  28. ^ Petridis, Alexis (August 19, 2005). "Kanye West, Late Registration". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  29. ^ Jones, Steve (August 29, 2005). "Kanye West's 'Registration' is right on time". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  30. ^ G, Matty (2005). "Kanye West Review – Late Registration". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on December 14, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  31. ^ Hilburn, Robert (August 28, 2005). "West connects with heart and sophistication". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  32. ^ Sheffield, Rob (August 25, 2005). "Late Registration". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  33. ^ Ahmad, Azeem. "Kanye West – Late Registration". musicOMH. Archived from the original on January 12, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  34. ^ Browne, David (August 29, 2005). "Late Registration". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  35. ^ a b c Kaufman, Gil (April 9, 2013). "Kanye West Sued Over 'Gold Digger' Sample". MTV. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  36. ^ a b Finn, Natalie (April 11, 2013). "Kanye West sued over 'Gold Digger' sample". Today. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  37. ^ McAfee, David (August 14, 2014). "Kanye West Gets 'Gold Digger' Copyright Action Gutted". Law360. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  38. ^ "Shea Serrano's 'The Rap Year Book' Is A History Of Rap". WBUR-FM. October 16, 2015. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  39. ^ "The 2005 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. February 7, 2006. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019 – via Robert Christgau.
  40. ^ "The 15th Annual Cross-Canada Music Critics Poll". Eye Weekly. January 19, 2006. Archived from the original on February 22, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  41. ^ Greene, Andy (January 11, 2006). "The 2005 Readers' Poll". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  42. ^ "Årets singler" [Singles of the year]. Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). December 13, 2005. Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  43. ^ "Best albums and tracks of 2005". NME. October 10, 2016. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  44. ^ "Kultur & Szene | Bayerischer Rundfunk" [Culture & scene | Bavarian radio]. Zündfunk [ de] (in German). December 23, 2005. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  45. ^ "Top 50 Singles of 2005". Stylus Magazine. December 5, 2005. Archived from the original on January 7, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  46. ^ "XXL Lists The Best Hip-Hop Songs And Albums Of The Last 40 Years". XXL. January 9, 2014. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  47. ^ "The Must List: Ranking the Best in 25 Years of Pop Culture". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Books. October 6, 2015. ISBN  9781618931566.
  48. ^ Hilton, Robin; Boilen, Bob (January 6, 2016). "16 Number One Songs From Our First 16 Years". NPR. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  49. ^ Macnie, Jim (September 24, 2008). "The 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs Ever". VH1. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  50. ^ "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of '00s (Complete List)". VH1. September 29, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  51. ^ "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  52. ^ "The 100 Best Singles of the Aughts". Slant Magazine. January 25, 2010. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  53. ^ "100 Best Songs Of The 00s". NME. May 29, 2012. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  54. ^ "100 Greatest Songs of the Century". Rolling Stone. June 28, 2018. Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  55. ^ Barker, Emily (January 31, 2014). "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time: 100–1". NME. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  56. ^ Dimery, Robert (October 1, 2015). 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die. Cassell Illustrated. ISBN  978-1844038800.
  57. ^ a b Ungerman, Alex (February 10, 2017). "Kanye West's Complicated Grammys History: From Bashing Beck to Taylor Swift Drama to the Possible Boycot". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  58. ^ a b "Awards Winners & Nominees Record Of The Year". Grammy. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  59. ^ a b c "2006 BET Awards Winners & Nominees". BET. May 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  60. ^ a b "Mariah Wins Big At Billboard R&B;/Hip-Hop Awards". Billboard. September 9, 2006. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  61. ^ "Kiss Awards 2006". Kiss Clients. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  62. ^ "Ciara leads Vibe Awards nominations". Today. October 10, 2005. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  63. ^ "2006 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Finalists". Billboard. June 21, 2006. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  64. ^ "2006 BMI Urban Awards". BMI. August 30, 2006. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  65. ^ "2006 International Dance Music Awards". Winter Music Conference. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  66. ^ "Kanye West's 'Late Registration' Wins MP3.com's 2005 Readers' Choice Award for Best Album". Business Wire. January 24, 2006. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  67. ^ a b "2006 MTV Australia Video Music Awards Nominees". The Sydney Morning Herald. February 7, 2006. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  68. ^ a b Lapatine, Scott (July 31, 2006). "2006 MTV Video Music Award Nominations". Stereogum. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  69. ^ "R. Kelly earns three Soul Train award nods". Today. February 3, 2006. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  70. ^ "2006 Nominees for Outstanding Creative Achievement". TEC Awards. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  71. ^ "BMI Honors The Bee Gees as Icons at 55th Annual Pop Awards". BMI. May 16, 2007. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  72. ^ a b c Chesna, Benjamin (August 26, 2012). "The Complete History of G.O.O.D. Music". Complex. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  73. ^ "Kanye West to release Hype Williams-directed Yeezus film in theatres". Fact. February 27, 2014. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  74. ^ a b "Kanye West – Gold Digger ft. Jamie Foxx". Vevo. June 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022 – via YouTube.
  75. ^ a b c Haidari, Niloufar (February 16, 2020). "The best music video of every year from 2000–2018". ShortList. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  76. ^ a b c Baker, Ernest; Kamer, Foster; Ahmed, Insanul; Nostro, Lauren; Spencer, Tannis; Simmons, Ted; Shipley, Al (June 8, 2018). "Ranking All 43 of Kanye West's Music Videos". Complex. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  77. ^ "A gathering of music superstars". The Manila Times. March 5, 2006. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  78. ^ "Video Music Awards Japan 2006". MTV Japan. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  79. ^ "Billy Talent, Kardinal up for MuchMusic video honours". CBC News. May 24, 2006. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  80. ^ "Mariah, John Legend Top Soul Train Awards". BMI. March 7, 2006. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  81. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – July 30, 2005". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  82. ^ a b c d e f "Hot 100 Shocker: Kanye Dethrones Mariah". Billboard. September 8, 2005. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  83. ^ "Blunt's Edge". Billboard. September 17, 2005. p. 50. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Google Books.
  84. ^ a b "'Gold Digger' Notches 10th Week At No. 1". Billboard. November 10, 2005. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  85. ^ Gary, Trust (July 9, 2021). "The Longest-Leading Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  86. ^ "Brown's 'Run It!' Sprints To No. 1". Billboard. November 17, 2005. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  87. ^ a b "Top 100 Songs of 2005 – Year End Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  88. ^ "Island Def Jam's Best". Billboard. June 6, 2009. p. 36. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2020 – via Google Books.
  89. ^ Leight, Elias (October 31, 2014). "The Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits of the 2000s". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  90. ^ Zellner, Xander (May 31, 2018). "Kanye West's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  91. ^ "The Hot 100's All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. August 2, 2018. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  92. ^ "Music: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – July 16, 2005". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  93. ^ a b "Kanye doubles up for a second week". Irish Examiner. September 16, 2005. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  94. ^ "Kanye's 'Gold Digger' Still Strong On Billboard Charts". Billboard. October 6, 2005. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  95. ^ "Satellite radio faces the music". Billboard. November 26, 2005. p. 72. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Google Books.
  96. ^ a b "Kanye West Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  97. ^ a b "Kanye West Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  98. ^ a b "Kanye West Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  99. ^ Trust, Gary (June 25, 2010). "Ask Billboard: Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  100. ^ Grein, Paul (May 11, 2011). "Week Ending May 8, 2011. Songs: Rolling In The Dough – Chart Watch". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  101. ^ a b "American single certifications – Kanye West – Gold Digger". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  102. ^ "Gold & Platinum – Digital singles". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  103. ^ "Kanye West digs into the charts". The Sydney Morning Herald. October 18, 2005. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  104. ^ "This Week In... 2005". ARIA. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  105. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  106. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Official New Zealand Music Chart. October 24, 2005. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  107. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Official New Zealand Music Chart. October 31, 2005. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  108. ^ a b c " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  109. ^ a b "New Zealand single certifications – Kanye West – Gold Digger". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  110. ^ "Franz Ferdinand, Kanye West score hits in UK singles chart". NME. September 25, 2005. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  111. ^ "Kanye West | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  112. ^ Copsey, Rob (April 17, 2017). "The Official Top 100 biggest Hip-Hop Songs of all time". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  113. ^ a b White, Jack (October 24, 2019). "Kanye West's Official Top 40 biggest songs in the UK". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  114. ^ a b "British single certifications – Kanye West ft Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  115. ^ a b "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kanye West". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  116. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  117. ^ a b " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". VG-lista. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  118. ^ a b " Nederlandse Top 40 – Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  119. ^ a b " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  120. ^ a b " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  121. ^ a b " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  122. ^ a b "Danish single certifications – Kanye West – Gold Digger". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  123. ^ "Kanye West's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022.
  124. ^ "Kanye West's Official Top 40 biggest songs in the UK". Official Charts. August 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022.
  125. ^ a b Atkinson, Katie (March 10, 2015). "Kanye West & John Legend Perform an Early Version of 'Gold Digger' Back in 2003 (Video)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  126. ^ Bassil, Ryan (March 10, 2015). "Watch Kanye Perform an Original Version Of 'Gold Digger' in a Village Hall a Year before The College Dropout Landed". Noisey. London. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  127. ^ a b Washington, Arlene (August 30, 2015). "Watch Kanye West's 7 Polarizing VMA Performances". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  128. ^ Martin, Andrew (August 8, 2013). "Kanye West MTV VMA Performances – From G.O.O.D. to Best". The Boombox. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  129. ^ Breihan, Tom (September 27, 2005). "A Running Diary of VH-1's Hip-Hop Honors". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  130. ^ Jackson, Reed (November 18, 2013). "A Timeline Of Kanye West's Up-And-Down Relationship With 'SNL'". XXL. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  131. ^ Jordan Sargent (May 17, 2013). "October 1, 2005: 'Gold Digger'/'Touch the Sky' Medley". Spin. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  132. ^ a b Zo (June 27, 2015). "Watch Kanye West's Contentious Glastonbury Performance In Full". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  133. ^ a b c Goodacre, Kate (June 27, 2015). "Kanye West brings drama to Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage: 'You are watching the greatest living rock star on the planet'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  134. ^ a b Youngs, Ian (June 28, 2015). "Glastonbury: Kanye West delivers headline set". BBC News. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  135. ^ a b Yang, Linda; Corrigam, Graham (May 2, 2018). "Videos of Kanye West Performing Every Year Since 2003". Complex. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  136. ^ a b Fleischer, Adam (February 25, 2015). "We're About To Get Another Taste Of Kanye West's New Album". MTV. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  137. ^ "Brit Awards 2010 winners in full". BBC News. February 16, 2010. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  138. ^ "Late Orchestration – Live at Abbey Road Studios by Kanye West". Apple Music (GB). January 2006. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  139. ^ Cromelin, Richard (May 1, 2006). "All together now". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  140. ^ Kennedy, Maev (April 27, 2007). "Diana concert lineup spans the generations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  141. ^ "Concert for Diana – Timeline". BBC. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  142. ^ "Kanye West plays rousing set at US Live Earth". NME. July 8, 2007. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  143. ^ a b Fletcher, Alex (September 10, 2007). "Foxx duets with Kanye at pre-VMA show". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  144. ^ a b "Kanye West Closes Wireless Festival With Crystal-themed Show". NME. July 6, 2009. Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  145. ^ Gregory, Jason (April 18, 2011). "Kanye West Closes Coachella Festival 2011". Gigwise. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  146. ^ "12–12–12 Concert for Sandy Relief Setlist". Billboard. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  147. ^ Pederson, Erik (December 12, 2012). "The Concert for Sandy Relief: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  148. ^ "Kanye West and Alicia Keys Perform at '12.12.12: The Concert for Sandy Relief'". Rap-Up. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  149. ^ Blay, Zeba (June 21, 2014). "Kanye West closes Dave Chappelle's Radio City Music Hall gig". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  150. ^ Statts, Eddie (June 2014). "Dave Chappelle Brings Out Kanye West For A Surprise Cameo At Radio City Music Hall". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  151. ^ Steiner, Amanda Michelle (April 22, 2015). "Kim Kardashian and Kanye West at the Time 100 Gala: Rapper Performs Gold Digger". People. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  152. ^ Black, Adrienne (April 22, 2015). "Watch Kanye West Perform at the Time 100 Gala". Complex. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  153. ^ Doherty, Mike (July 27, 2015). "Kanye West at the Pan Am Games review – sound cuts out on unpredictable artist". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  154. ^ Larsen, Peter (December 10, 2021). "Kanye West, now known as Ye, brings the hits to LA Coliseum show with Drake". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  155. ^ Richards, Sam (August 11, 2006). "The Automatic – The Automatic: ULU, London, Monday July 24 – Live Reviews". NME. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  156. ^ Stephens, Huw (August 29, 2006). "Tracklisting". BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  157. ^ Taylor, Chris (September 23, 2006). "The Automatic Cover Kanye West's 'Gold Digger'". Gigwise. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  158. ^ "The Automatic plot first US headlining tour". NME. July 17, 2007. Archived from the original on November 6, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  159. ^ a b Monheit, Robin (July 27, 2007). "The Automatic Automatic: Double The Name, Double The Fun". Spin. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  160. ^ "Blogs / Page 1". The Automatic. 2008. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  161. ^ "The Automatic Raoul UK shaped picture disc (picture disc vinyl record) (384141)". B-Unique. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022 – via Eil.com.
  162. ^ "Glee – Showmance". Fox Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on September 13, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  163. ^ "Glee: The Music, Vol. 1 – Glee". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  164. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 5th October 2009" (PDF). Pandora. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  165. ^ a b c Taylor, Frances (October 13, 2012). "Lucy Spraggan talks about her tough week". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  166. ^ O'Reilly, Brian (October 15, 2012). "X Factor week 2 – Gary's grudge, Rylan's resurrection and proof song choice is key". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  167. ^ Jones, Steve (June 30, 2020). "Sheffield singer and X-Factor star Lucy Spraggan celebrates 11 months sober". Sheffield Star. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  168. ^ "X Factor round-up week two: judges still arguing over pandas and poseurs". STV. October 14, 2012. Archived from the original on December 17, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  169. ^ Spraggan, Lucy. "Watch Lucy Spraggan sing Gold Digger by Kanye West". ITV. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  170. ^ Krolak, Mike (September 24, 2015). "black-ish Season 2 Premiere Recap: 'THE Word'". American Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  171. ^ Freeman, Jon (January 10, 2015). "See Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge Cover Kanye, Drake". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  172. ^ Finan, Eileen (August 3, 2016). "CMAfest 2016: Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge Host the Special". People. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  173. ^ Stefano, Angela (November 16, 2015). "Eldredge, Rhett Mix Country, Pop, More in Live Mash-Up [Watch]". The Boot. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  174. ^ Rodriguez, Cindy (September 12, 2005). "A rap song Bush doesn't want to hear". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  175. ^ Thomas, Dexter (August 28, 2015). "When Kanye West told George Bush that Black Lives Matter". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  176. ^ Marotte, Mary Ruth; Jellenik, Glenn (December 1, 2014). Ten Years after Katrina: Critical Perspectives of the Storm's Effect on American Culture and Identity. Lexington Books. pp. 102–103.
  177. ^ Petridis, Alexis (April 1, 2010). "Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (Universal)". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  178. ^ Lowe, Zane (September 23, 2013). "Kanye West. Part 1". BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022 – via YouTube.
  179. ^ " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  180. ^ " Issue 832" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  181. ^ " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  182. ^ " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  183. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  184. ^ "Music: Top Euro Digital Tracks – October 14, 2005". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  185. ^ " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  186. ^ " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  187. ^ " Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  188. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  189. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  190. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  191. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  192. ^ "Pop 100 Singles – December 24, 2005 – Page 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 17, 2005. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  193. ^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2005". aria.com.au. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  194. ^ "End of Year Charts 2005". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  195. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  196. ^ "2005 Urban top 40" (PDF). Music Week. January 14, 2006. p. 22. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  197. ^ "2005 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  198. ^ a b "2005 The Year in Music & Touring" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 52. December 24, 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  199. ^ "UK Singles Chart 2006" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  200. ^ "2006 Year End Charts – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  201. ^ "UK Singles Chart 2007" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  202. ^ "Decade End Charts – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  203. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. November 25, 2021. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  204. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx; 'Gold Digger')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  205. ^ "Italian single certifications – Kanye West – Gold Digger" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.

External links