Songfacts®:

• This song was the second track on Kanye West's third album, Graduation. The beat is based around a sample from Steely Dan's popular song "Kid Charlemagne," which was named as one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
• The video for this song features Kanye West as a puppet competing in the 100m sprint in the Olympics. Near the end of the race, West summons extra strength and passes his competitors to win. The clip was shot at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California.
• This song entered the Billboard Pop 100 at #94 despite the fact that it was never released as a single from Graduation.
• South African-born Australian singer-songwriter Connie Mitchell of the electronic group Sneaky Sound System delivered the bridge. She featured on four Graduation tracks in total, including two singles, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Flashing Lights."
• West's cousin, soul singer Tony Williams, recalled on Genius: "I led the writing team for this with Big Sean, who was just starting out at the time, and Connie Mitchell, who sang the 'whoa-oa-oh' part on 'Can't Tell Me Nothing.' We wrote this little chant for 'Champion.' I always have a very eclectic mix of writers, like on 808s and Heartbreak when it was me and Kid Cudi."