Who Gon Stop Me

"Who Gon Stop Me"
Song by Jay-Z and Kanye West from the album Watch the Throne
Released 8 August 2011
Genre
Length 4:17
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph
  • Mike Dean
Watch the Throne track listing

"Welcome to the Jungle"
(8)
"Who Gon Stop Me"
(9)
"Murder to Excellence"
(10)

"Who Gon Stop Me" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Kanye West and Jay-Z, from their first collaborative effort Watch the Throne (2011).[1] The song is the ninth song on the official track list for the album.[1] The song heavily samples English dubstep producer Flux Pavilion's hit single "I Can't Stop", taken from his EP Lines in Wax and his mix album Circus One with Doctor P.

Critical reception

Several sources complimented West's vocals on the song.

Spin gave the song a positive review and described the hook in the song "This is something like a holocaust / Millions of our people lost," by adding that "He's making the point that inner-city violence, by the dictionary definition of the word ("a mass slaughter of people"), is a holocaust, but is never framed as such".[2] Rolling Stone similar to Spin also stated that the song was an experimental track that featured a dubstep bass line and that it is flattering to Kanye West's vocal talents.[3] Billboard described "Who Gon Stop Me" by saying "The Throne throws the middle finger to haters and hardships of the past. "Til I die/ I'mma f***in ball," West raps. Perfect song for wildin'."[4] The Hollywood Reporter stated that the album also had a "dubstep-like" beat and described Kanye West and Jay-Z's verses by saying "It’s unclear what Kanye’s referring to by “our people.” Jay-Z admits that he still likes Picasso, but now he also likes Rothko and Rilke. "[5] The Guardian described the song as using "Romping, ravey synths, a big stomp without much give."[6]

Chart performance

Due to the hype around Watch the Throne, "Who Gon Stop Me" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at 44, without actually being released as a single.[7] The reason for the song's relatively high debut on the Billboard Hot 100 is because of the song's high digital performance. On the week of August 27, 2011, "Who Gon Stop Me" debuted on the Billboard digital songs chart at number 19 which was the second highest debut of the week only under Drake's single "Headlines".[8] In its second week on the Hot 100 it dropped to 79, and by the third week it exited the chart entirely.[9] The song is the only non-single from Watch the Throne that managed to chart in the Top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song performed similarly in Canada, debuting at 60 on the Canadian Hot 100 the week of the album's release.[10]

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
Position
South Korea (Gaon Chart)[11] 116
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 44
Canadian Hot 100[10] 60

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 "'Watch the Throne' Expanded Track Listing". The Comet. 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  2. "Track by Track: 'Watch the Throne' Pt. 2". SPIN.com. 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  3. Matthew Perpetua (2011-08-09). "Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne': A Track-by-Track Breakdown | Music News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  4. "Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Watch the Throne': Track-by-Track Review - The Juice". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  5. "Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Watch the Throne': Track-by-Track". The Hollywood Reporter. 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  6. Matos, Michaelangelo (2011-08-02). "Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch the Throne – track-by-track review | Music | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  7. 1 2 "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  8. http://www.billboard.com/charts/2011-08-27/digital-songs?order=gainer
  9. "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  10. 1 2 "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  11. "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: August 13, 2011 to August 20, 2011)". Gaon Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  12. "American single certifications – Kanye West – Who Gon Stop Me". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
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