Songfacts®:

• This is based on Curtis Mayfield's 1970 funk classic "Move On Up." Lyrically, it's a similar message of trying to be the best, with West rapping about how he overcame his struggles and doubts. West also retained the distinctive horn lines from Mayfield's song.
• Lupe Fiasco raps a verse on this track.
• West produces much of his own material, but he brought in Roc-A-Fella Records' in-house producer, Just Blaze (Justin Smith) to work on this track.
• The video was shot in the style of a 1970s movie, and portrayed West as a character similar to Evel Knievel preparing for a daredevil stunt. Pamela Anderson plays the love interest of West, and Nia Long appears as his ex-girlfriend. In a dialogue break, the actress Tracee Ellis Ross tells Long, "I told you, when he get on, he's gonna leave your ass for a white girl," which is a reference to West's hit "Gold Digger."
  
  Evel Knievel did not appreciate the video and sued West, claiming that the video was "vulgar and offensive," and damaged his reputation. The suit was settled and West met with Knievel in November 2007, shortly before Knievel died. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Bertrand - Paris, France
• The lyrics, "I'm going on an airplane, and I don't know if I'll be back again" are derived from the 1969 Peter, Paul and Mary song "Leaving On A Jet Plane."
• During her long run as a screen icon - from Boyz n the Hood and Friday to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Nia Long has crossed fully into rap mythology. For decades, rappers have used her name as shorthand for beauty, cool and unattainable aspiration.
  
  Among the many shout-outs, Juicy J compared a woman's cropped hairstyle to Long's in "Bandz A Make Her Dance," while J. Cole folded her into a wistful fantasy on "No Role Modelz," lamenting he was "too young for Nia Long."
  
  But according to Long, her favorite lyrical nod comes from "Touch the Sky," where West raps, "Couldn't keep it at home, thought I needed a Nia Long."
  
  "I'm going to go with Kanye's because I was in that video," she told BlackTree TV. "That video was iconic. I just think Kanye is such a visionary with his music, his visuals."