Before Kanye West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, he dropped his 2003 mixtape I’m Good. Among that release’s tracks is “Through The Wire,” a personal song about a 2002 car accident he experienced, after which his jaw was wired shut. The song samples Chaka Khan, who has now revealed that she is not a fan of the track at all.
During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the host asked Khan how the conversation went surrounding West sampling “Through The Fire” on “Through The Wire.” She responded sternly, “Very differently than the song turned out, obviously.” When pressed, she continued, “He called me when he just got out of the hospital. He said, ‘You were so instrumental in my healing process. I changed the words a little bit to the song but I had to eat through a wire. Jaw’s wired shut through a straw.’ It meant that much to me. It really got my heart, tugged at my string. I was like, ‘Yeah, use it.'”
She continued, “Then when it came out, […] I was pissed. I thought it was a little insulting. Not insulting: I thought it was stupid! If I’d known he was gonna do that, I would have said, ‘Hell no.'” She added that he hasn’t told West about her disapproval of the song. Even if West doesn’t know it, though, it’s clear the Khan doesn’t miss the old Kanye, straight from the ‘Go Kanye, chop up the soul Kanye.
Meanwhile, Kanye was more laudatory about the track in a 2003 interview, saying, “I know that I know I’m going to keep on making good music for the fans, but I know there will never ever ever ever be another ‘Through The Wire,’ ever.”
Watch Khan talk about “Through The Wire” above.
