Touch the Sky (Kanye West song)

"Touch the Sky"
Single by Kanye West featuring Lupe Fiasco
from the album Late Registration
Released March 7, 2006
Format
Recorded 2005
Genre Hip hop
Length 3:56
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Just Blaze
Kanye West singles chronology
"Heard 'Em Say"
(2005)		 "Touch the Sky"
(2006)		 "Impossible"
(2006)
Lupe Fiasco singles chronology
"Touch the Sky"
(2006) Touch the Sky2006		 "Kick Push"
(2006) Kick Push2006

"Touch the Sky" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released in early 2006 as the fourth single from his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song features American rapper Lupe Fiasco on his career debut and was produced by Just Blaze, standing as the only song on the album not to feature production by West. Blaze uses a slowed-down trumpet sample from the Curtis Mayfield song "Move On Up."

Music video

The music video for "Touch the Sky" was directed by Chris Milk and filmed as a '70s style short movie about daredevil Evel Kanyevel (played by Kanye West) and his attempt to fly a small rocket across the Grand Canyon. It is done in homage to Evel Knievel's unsuccessful jump across the Snake River Canyon in 1974.

The video features Pamela Anderson, Nia Long, Tracee Ellis Ross, and the Booker T. Washington High School Marching Band of Houston, Texas, which performs with Lupe Fiasco at a pep rally.[1] The production cost for the music video was approximately $1 million, which is the 25th most expensive music video of all time.

Lawsuit

In December 2006, Evel Knievel filed a lawsuit against Kanye West for trademark infringement.[2] Specifically, Knievel's lawsuit cites the similarities between West's star-adorned, blue and white costume in the video and the costume in which the stuntman wore when attempting his 1974 Snake River Canyon jump. West's attorneys argued that the music video amounted to satire and therefore was covered under the First Amendment. Just days before his death in November 2007, Knievel amicably settled the suit after being paid a visit from West, saying, "I thought he was a wonderful guy and quite a gentleman."[3]

Remix and cover

There is an official remix that was leaked on mixtapes and features The LOX (Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P), J-Hood, and Lupe Fiasco.

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 10
European Hot 100[5] 24
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] 15
Germany (Official German Charts)[7] 97
Ireland (IRMA) 14
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 16
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[9] 7
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] 6
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[11] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 42
US Billboard Pop 100[5] 41
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40[5] 35
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[5] 23
US Billboard Hot Rap Singles[5] 10

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[12] Platinum 70,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Personnel

Information taken from Late Registration liner notes.[15]

  • Songwriters: Kanye West, Wasalu Jaco, Justin Smith, Curtis Mayfield
  • Producer: Just Blaze
  • Recorders: Anthony Kilhoffer, Andrew Dawson
  • Mix engineer: Mike Dean
  • Assistant engineers: Richard Reitz, Matt Green, Nate Connelly, Mike Mo

References

  1. ↑ Montgomery, James (2007-01-18). "Fall Out Boy Hope To Rush Kanye Remix Onto Upcoming Album". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  2. ↑ Evel Knievel Sues Kanye West | The Smoking Gun
  3. ↑ "Evel Knievel, Kanye West settle lawsuit". USA Today. Gannett Co. Inc. 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  4. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Kanye West – Touch the Sky". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco - Touch the Sky". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  6. ↑ "Kanye West: Touch the Sky" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  7. ↑ "Musicline.de – Kanye West Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  8. ↑ "Charts.nz – Kanye West – Touch the Sky". Top 40 Singles.
  9. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  11. ↑ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  12. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  13. ↑ "British single certifications – Kanye West – Touch The Sky". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 19, 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Touch The Sky in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  14. ↑ "American single certifications – Kanye West – Touch The Sky". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  15. ↑ Late Registration (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2005.
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