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Kanye West has one of the most extensive music catalogs in music history. Hit records such as Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Stronger, and Father Stretch My Hands have made him one of the more iconic figures in the history of music. However, as far as his claim to fame, many of his fans believe that his hit record Through The Wire, off of his debut album, College Dropout, is what helped catapult him to superstardom. Unfortunately, the rap star is not reaping the benefits of the song.
Kanye West Received ‘Nothing’ For Hit Record
During a recent appearance on the And The Writer Is podcast, legendary songwriter David Foster revealed that West essentially has no writing credits on the hit record.
“He got nothing,” Foster said as heard through @henri_fjord on X.
Foster, Tom Keane, and Cynthia Weil are the group behind Chaka Khan’s 1984 hit “Through the Fire,” which West samples on the track.
Fans in the comments section of the social media post were outraged.
“No wonder Kanye was punching the air. They do this with so many artists, it’s sad,” one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This is an awful story of artists treating fellow artists terribly,” another user added.
Kanye West Got Zero Publishing on Through The Wire
— Henri Fjord (@henri_fjord) January 20, 2026
“He got nothing.” pic.twitter.com/98aoInYo4p
West’s song became iconic due in large part to the fact that he recorded it with his mouth wired shut after an October 2002 car crash, hence the title of the song. He even mentions it on the track.
“I really apologize for everything right now, man. If it’s unclear at all, man. They got my mouth wired shut for like I don’t know, the doctor said like six weeks. I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw. I looked in the mirror, and half of my jaw was in the back of my mouth. Man, I couldn’t believe it. But I’m still here for y’all right now, man,” Kanye says in one of the interludes of the song.
