Chaka Khan Apologizes To Kanye West For "Silly Grudge" Over Sped-Up Vocal Sample

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on December 29, 20231.7K Views

MIAMI - AUGUST 29: Kanye West and Chaka Khan perform at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards at the American Airlines Arena August 29, 2004 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Ye sampled Khan's "Through The Fire" on "Through The Wire," and for years she took issue with how he chopped it up.

Chaka Khan just got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a deserving accolade for such a superstar. Thus, she reflected on her career highlights, personal experiences, and so much more during a recent interview with Rolling Stone. What will probably prove to be of most interest to hip-hop fans is the singer's assessment of her relationship with Kanye West. For those unaware, he sampled her track "Through The Fire" on his first-ever single "Through The Wire," something that she critiqued for many years since. Now, though, it seems like it's all water under the bridge.

"To clarify something, the reason you were annoyed with Kanye West about 'Through the Wire' is that he asked to use your sampled voice, but didn’t make it clear that it’d be sped up, right?" the publication asked. "Yeah. And you know, that was my fault, too, for feeling salty about that in any way," Chaka Khan responded. "Because if I understood the rap game more completely, like I do now, then that wouldn’t have been a big deal to me. No, I’m done [having it bother me]. Please. I’m not hanging on to any silly grudges."

Kanye West & Chaka Khan Perform "Through The Wire" In 2004: Watch

Of course, Kanye West is no stranger to sampling issues, whether from an artistic standpoint or actually clearing it. Most recently, that's what's happening with his song "Everybody" off his yet-to-be-released collab album with Ty Dolla $ign, Vultures. The song samples The Backstreet Boys, and it looks like the publishers in charge of the sampled record refuse to give the rights over as of writing this article. It's just one of many ways in which this album rollout turned chaotic. We still doubt it will ever see the light of day.

Meanwhile, Ye isn't just receiving apologies from a legend; he's also giving them. Everyone has a different take on his apology in Hebrew to the Jewish community for his antisemitic remarks. While some are forgiving and others don't buy it for a millisecond, at least it's better than complete silence. For more news and the latest updates on Chaka Khan and Kanye West, stay logged into HNHH.

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About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.