Everything I Am

Album: Graduation (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is built around a sped-up sample from "If We Can't Be Lovers" by Prince Phillip Mitchell and also samples Chuck D from Public Enemy's "Bring The Noise."
  • Kanye West claims at the beginning of this song that the Hip-Hop artist Common passed on this.
  • Kanye West explained to Concrete Loop about this song: "I had an interview with Wendy Williams and it really touched me that, like when she even said the title of the song she started crying. Just saying that that song just touched her in that way. And I really thought about the lyrics and what I was saying and it really would relate to her. [he starts rapping parts of "Everything I Am"] You know, I was picturing, my muse for the song was kinda like, a little girl in High School or in grammar school getting picked on. Like she gets picked on for being too skinny or something and she grows up to be a model. Or she is getting picked on for being too big and grows up to be Oprah Winfrey or a journalist or something like that. So just saying like, all these things that made you not cool when you was growing up, it's almost like having a handicap. You know what I'm saying? You know if someone is blind, you can end up being Stevie Wonder because your ears are that much better."
  • Prince Phillip Mitchell sued Kanye West in early 2018, claiming Yeezy sampled "If We Can't Be Lovers." without permission. His lawsuit also accused Solange of stealing from the same song for her "F--- the Industry" track, which is heavily based around a sample of "Everything I Am", so features some of the same elements. After leaking in 2008, Solange's track was originally supposed to appear on a mixtape titled "I Can't Get Clearance."

    TMZ reports that Mitchell's lawsuit seeks damages and also wants Kanye and Solange to stop performing the songs and to put a halt to radio play as well. Mitchell is also asking for punitive damages, alleging that Solange and Kanye "willfully committed the infringement."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

How The Beatles Crafted Killer Choruses

How The Beatles Crafted Killer ChorusesSong Writing

The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Psychedelic Lyrics

Psychedelic LyricsMusic Quiz

Whoa man! Do you know which band came up with these cosmic lyrics?

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?