All Falls Down

"All Falls Down"
Single by Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson
from the album The College Dropout
B-side "Get 'Em High"
Released February 24, 2004 (2004-02-24)
Format
Studio
Genre Hip hop
Length 3:43
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Kanye West
Kanye West singles chronology
"Get By"
(2004)		 "All Falls Down"
(2004)		 "Talk About Our Love"
(2004)
Syleena Johnson singles chronology
"Tonight I'm Gonna Let Go"
(2002)		 "All Falls Down"
(2004)		 "Hypnotic"
(2005)
Audio sample
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"All Falls Down" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released as the third single from his debut album, The College Dropout. The song was produced by West and features singer Syleena Johnson. It was released in February 2004 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number ten and peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 11, 2004, his first Top 10 in the USA. The song was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 47th Grammy Awards.[1]

Background

The song contains an interpolation of "Mystery of Iniquity" by Lauryn Hill from her live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Kanye originally attempted to acquire legal clearance to sample the recording but due to various complications, the permission was withheld.[2] West then called upon Syleena Johnson to re-sing the relevant vocal portions of "Mystery of Iniquity" which ended up in the final track.[3] The version of the song with the original sample can be heard on West's Freshman Adjustment mixtape. However, the earliest version of the song can be found on West's 2001 mixtape The Prerequisite, on which it called "Dream Come True". Lyrically, "All Falls Down" examines the self-consciousness and insecurity within society, particularly the black community, and how these characteristics pertain to economic materialism.[4]

Music video

The music video for "All Falls Down" was directed by Chris Milk and shot at Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California.[5] It follows Kanye as he accompanies his girlfriend, played by Stacey Dash, to the airport to catch her flight. The music video is shot in first-person perspective, displaying the journey from their car to the airport terminal through West's eyes. The video also features cameos by Syleena Johnson, Common, and Kel Mitchell, who act as a ticket counter, gate agent, and valet, respectively. In addition, rappers Common, GLC and Consequence can also be seen as Kanye is running through the airport in slow motion.

Track listings

12" vinyl #1

A-Side

  1. "All Falls Down" (Clean)
  2. "All Falls Down" (Dirty)
  3. "All Falls Down" (A cappella)

B-Side

  1. "Get 'Em High" (Clean)
  2. "Get 'Em High" (Extended Dirty)
  3. "Get 'Em High" (A cappella)

12" vinyl #2

A-Side

  1. "All Falls Down" (Explicit)
  2. "All Falls Down" (Edited)

B-Side

  1. "Heavy Hitters" (Dirty)
  2. "Heavy Hitters" (A cappella)

CD single #1

  1. "All Falls Down" (Album Version Explicit)
  2. "Heavy Hitters" (Dirty)

CD single #2

  1. "All Falls Down"
  2. "Get 'Em High"
  3. "Heavy Hitters"
  4. "Through the Wire"

CD single #3

  1. "All Falls Down - Explicit"
  2. "All Falls Down" - Edited"
  3. "Heavy Hitters (Feat. GLC)"
  4. "Get 'Em High (Feat. Talib Kweli & Common)"
  5. "All Falls Down - Video"

Personnel

Information taken from The College Dropout liner notes.[6]

Chart positions

Chart (2004)[7][8] Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[9] 7
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[10] 18
Canadian Singles Chart 9
Europe Official Top 100[11] 71
German Singles Chart 72
Irish Singles Chart 23
New Zealand Singles Chart 19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 85
UK Singles Chart 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 7
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks 2
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs 22

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[13] Platinum 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "Kanye West nets 10 Grammy nominations". Today. December 7, 2004. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  2. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (February 9, 2005). "Road To The Grammys: The Making Of Kanye West's College Dropout". MTV. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  3. ↑ Hall, Rashaun (January 21, 2005). "Kanye West Collaborating With Lauryn Hill On New LP". MTV. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  4. ↑ Heaton, Dave (March 5, 2004). "Kanye West The College Dropout – PopMatters Music Review". PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc.
  5. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (August 25, 2005). "Kanye Puts It All On The Line — For A Video: VMAs Behind The Camera". MTV. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  6. ↑ The College Dropout (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2004. 986 173-9.
  7. ↑ "Kanye West and Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down". aCharts.us. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  8. ↑ "All Falls Down - Kanye West". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – KanYe West feat. Syleena Johnson – All Falls Down" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – KanYe West feat. Syleena Johnson – All Falls Down" (in French). Ultratip.
  11. ↑ "Kanye West & Syleena Johnson – All Falls Down: Full History". top40-charts.com.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – KanYe West feat. Syleena Johnson – All Falls Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  13. ↑ "American single certifications – Kanye West – All Falls Down". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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