Can't Tell Me Nothing (mixtape)
Encyclopedia
Can't Tell Me Nothing: The Official Mixtape is a mixtape
by American
hip-hop
artist Kanye West
. It was made freely available over the internet on May 27, 2007 in anticipation of the release of his third studio album, Graduation
.
. Overall, it is compiled of songs made by various artists signed onto West's G.O.O.D. Music label, collaborations with other unaffiliated musicians, and preview versions of certain songs that would later appear on Graduation
. The mixtape was very well-received and gave off several tracks that later became successful singles. A physical disc was later released exclusively in the United Kingdom
on February 18, 2008.
awarded Can't Tell Me Nothing an A- rating and complimented it for expressing a high quality in comparsion to most promotional mixtapes, claiming, "Even with a few duds, this might be the album of the year." On its general review of the mixtape, Stylus wrote, "Can't Tell Me Nothing is one mixtape that should be legendary on its own, rather than piggybacking off its 'parent' album. It's as diverse as anything I've heard this year, both as intelligent and as stoopid as it wants to be (cf. "Us Placers
" vs. "Throw Some D's
(Remix)"), and gloriously so." Rock
critic Robert Christgau
dictated, "Get this while you can from the mixtape man no matter how much of it is destined for the real album." URB wrote, "Although the scatterbrained way Kanye chooses to present himself will continue to face scrutiny and divide opinion, any critic would be hard pressed to deny his talent. Whatever persona he adopts, whether relatively restrained or unsurprisingly in your face, the artist rarely fails to engage." Can't Tell Me Nothing won "Mixtape of the Year" at the 2007 Vibe Awards.
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. It was made freely available over the internet on May 27, 2007 in anticipation of the release of his third studio album, Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
.
Background
The official mixtape was hosted by Kanye West alongside his A&R, Plain PatPlain Pat
Patrick "Plain Pat" ReynoldsPlain Pat is a Song Writer and Producer noted for working with Drake, Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Ghostface Killah, The Roots, Lloyd, Young Gunz, Myron and The Kyniptionz, Ashanti, Ludacris, Freeway, Ja Rule, N.O.R.E., and The Mutton...
. Overall, it is compiled of songs made by various artists signed onto West's G.O.O.D. Music label, collaborations with other unaffiliated musicians, and preview versions of certain songs that would later appear on Graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
. The mixtape was very well-received and gave off several tracks that later became successful singles. A physical disc was later released exclusively in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on February 18, 2008.
Reception
Stylus MagazineStylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
awarded Can't Tell Me Nothing an A- rating and complimented it for expressing a high quality in comparsion to most promotional mixtapes, claiming, "Even with a few duds, this might be the album of the year." On its general review of the mixtape, Stylus wrote, "Can't Tell Me Nothing is one mixtape that should be legendary on its own, rather than piggybacking off its 'parent' album. It's as diverse as anything I've heard this year, both as intelligent and as stoopid as it wants to be (cf. "Us Placers
US Placers
"Us Placers" is the debut song of Child Rebel Soldier, a supergroup consisting of rap artists Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. The song was produced by Lupe Fiasco and contains samples of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser". The track appears on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape and has...
" vs. "Throw Some D's
Throw Some D's
"Throw Some D's" is the first single off the self-titled album of rap artist Rich Boy, and his most commercially successful song to date. The single was produced by Butta and Polow da Don....
(Remix)"), and gloriously so." Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
dictated, "Get this while you can from the mixtape man no matter how much of it is destined for the real album." URB wrote, "Although the scatterbrained way Kanye chooses to present himself will continue to face scrutiny and divide opinion, any critic would be hard pressed to deny his talent. Whatever persona he adopts, whether relatively restrained or unsurprisingly in your face, the artist rarely fails to engage." Can't Tell Me Nothing won "Mixtape of the Year" at the 2007 Vibe Awards.
Track listing
| # | Title | Performer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Friday Morning" (Intro) | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... |
Kanye West | 2:17 |
| 2 | "Stronger Stronger (Kanye West song) "Stronger" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his third studio album Graduation. It was produced by West and contains an extended outro co-produced with Mike Dean... " (Snippet) |
Kanye West | Kanye West | 1:23 |
| 3 | "Us Placers US Placers "Us Placers" is the debut song of Child Rebel Soldier, a supergroup consisting of rap artists Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. The song was produced by Lupe Fiasco and contains samples of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser". The track appears on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape and has... " |
Child Rebel Soldier Child Rebel Soldier Child Rebel Soldier, shortened CRS, is a hip hop supergroup composed of hip hop artists Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pharrell Williams.-History:... |
Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... |
3:53 |
| 4 | "I Ain't Even On Yet" | GLC GLC (rapper) Leonard D. Harris is an American rapper from Chicago.-Early life:Leonard D. Harris found poetry and hip-hop at an early age and used both to cope with the passing of his parents. “As long as you’re talking about the negativity, you’re only attracting more negativity into your life. Stay positive. I... |
Xcel | 2:36 |
| 5 | "Can't Tell Me Nothing Can't Tell Me Nothing "Can't Tell Me Nothing" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released as the lead single of his third studio album, Graduation, on May 15, 2007. The song was produced by Kanye West and DJ Toomp... " |
Kanye West | Kanye West | 4:07 |
| 6 | "Southside" (Snippet) | Common Common (rapper) Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor.... feat. Kanye West |
Kanye West | 2:22 |
| 7 | "The Game The Game (Common song) "The Game" is the second single from rapper Common's 2007 album Finding Forever. It was released to iTunes as a digital download on May 22, 2007. It is produced by Kanye West, who samples "Tezeta" by Ethiopian jazz musician Seyfu Yohannes for the track's beat. It utilizes O.C.'s "Half Good, Half... " |
Common | Kanye West | 2:29 |
| 8 | "Porno" (Interlude) | Kanye West | Kanye West | 1:14 |
| 9 | "Stay Up Stay Up! (Viagra) "Stay Up! " is the first single released from producer-rapper 88-Keys' debut album The Death of Adam and features the album's co-executive producer Kanye West. The song samples "All Night Loving" by British R&B three-piece band Imagination. The single was released digitally on August 25, 2008... " (Snippet) |
88-Keys feat. Kanye West | 88-Keys | 1:50 |
| 10 | "In The Mood" | Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"... feat. Kanye West |
Kanye West | 2:32 |
| 11 | "C.O.L.O.U.R.S." | Bentley Fonzworth Bentley Derrick Watkins, in Atlanta, Georgia and popularly known as Fonzworth Bentley or Farnsworth Bentley, is a musician and author. He is perhaps best known for being Sean Combs' former personal valet and assistant, as first seen in Making the Band 2, and is currently the host of MTV's From G's to Gents... feat. Pimp C Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer... & Lil Wayne Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included... |
4:35 | |
| 12 | "Pro Nails Pro Nails "Pro Nails" is the second single by American hip hop artist Kid Sister from her debut album Ultraviolet . The song is better known for its remix, which features a verse by Kanye West... " |
Kid Sister Kid Sister Melisa Young better known by her stage name Kid Sister, is a rap artist based in Chicago, Illinois, well known for her single "Pro Nails", featuring Kanye West.-Background:Melisa Young was born July 3, 1980 in Markham, Illinois... feat. Kanye West |
A-Trak A-Trak A-Trak is a Montreal-born DJ, turntablist, and owner of the record label Fool's Gold.- Career :... |
2:36 |
| 13 | "Young Folks Young Folks "Young Folks" is the first single from Peter Bjorn and John's third album, Writer's Block . The single features Victoria Bergsman of The Concretes as a guest vocalist.-Reception:... " |
Kanye West | Kanye West | 1:46 |
| 14 | "Interviews" (Interlude) | Kanye West | Kanye West | 3:31 |
| 15 | "The People The People (Common song) "The People" is a song by American rapper Common, released as the lead single of his seventh studio album Finding Forever. It made its first appearance on Kanye West's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. The song features production by West and contains background vocals provided by soul singer Dwele... " |
Common | Kanye West | 3:24 |
| 16 | "Get'cha Some" | Big Sean Big Sean Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D... |
WrighTrax | 2:57 |
| 17 | "Don't Forget Em" | Consequence Consequence (rapper) Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life... |
Kanye West | 2:55 |
| 18 | "White! (On The Floor)" | Sa-Ra Sa-Ra Sa-Ra is a hip-hop group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn... |
Sa-Ra | 2:59 |
| 19 | "Because Of You Because of You (Ne-Yo song) "Because of You" is a 2007 song by singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It is the first single from his second album of the same name. The single started radio play the week of February 4, 2007.-Song information:... " (Remix) |
Ne-Yo Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario... feat. Kanye West |
Stargate Stargate (production team) This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"... |
1:35 |
| 20 | "Buy You A Drank" (Remix) | T-Pain T-Pain Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,... feat. Kanye West |
T-Pain | 2:01 |
| 21 | "Throw Some D's Throw Some D's "Throw Some D's" is the first single off the self-titled album of rap artist Rich Boy, and his most commercially successful song to date. The single was produced by Butta and Polow da Don.... " (Interlude) |
Kanye West | Polow da Don Polow Da Don Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I... |
0:35 |
| 22 | "Throw Some D's" (Remix) | Kanye West | Polow da Don | 2:36 |
| 23 | "Dreaming Of Your Love" | Tony Williams | Kanye West | 2:51 |
| 24 | "Magnetic Power" | Really Doe Really Doe Warren Trotter , better known as Really Doe, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois.- Career:Really Doe signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label in 2005... feat. Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place... |
1:46 | |
| 25 | "Hater Family" | PM | 3:35 |
See also
- Kanye West discographyKanye West discographyThe following is a comprehensive listing of official releases by Kanye West, an American rapper, singer, and producer. He has released five studio albums, two DVDs, and twenty-nine singles on Roc-A-Fella Records . He has also sold over 11 million albums in the United States, over 15 million worldwide...
- Kanye West production discographyKanye West production discography- Grav - Down to Earth :* 03. World Domination 1* 05. Sick Thoughts* 06. City To City * 07. Thought It Was On* 08. Line For Line * 10. Keep Movin* 12. One Puff* 13. Down To Earth...