On July 5, 2005, 13 years ago today, Kanye West released his second single, “Gold Digger” from his second studio album, “Late Registration.” With production by West and Jon Brion, vocals by Jamie Foxx, and a timeless sample of Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman,” the song was a major hit.
“Gold Digger” peaked at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 11, Pop 100, Hot R&B/HipHop Singles & Tracks and the Hot Rap Tracks charts. It also broke a record for the most digital downloads in a week, with 80,000, and became the fastest-selling digital downloads of all time, at the time.
In addition to that, “Gold Digger” was the second-longest running number one of the year, behind Mariah Carey’s mega hit, “We Belong Together.” The song secured West an award for Best Rap Performance at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and the video won Video of the Year at the BET Awards the same year.
By January 2011, the song sold over 3 million copies in the Untied States, and was certified five times platinum by 2014.
What is your favorite line from this song?
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