Champion (song)
Encyclopedia
"Champion" is a song
by American
rap
artist Kanye West
. The song is the second track from his third studio album, Graduation
, and is based around a sample from "Kid Charlemagne
" by Steely Dan
. On September 29, 2007, it managed to enter charts despite not being released as a single, debuting a number ninety-four on the Billboard
Pop 100
. An official music video was produced for the song and released on August 12, 2008 on West's blog.
-themed music video revolves around a puppet version of Kanye West participating in the 100 m sprint in the Unified Games. After receiving permission to race thanks to majority vote on live "K-Span
" television broadcast, the scene transits to the starting line, where flashbacks display the extensive training the puppet undertook to get where he is. The race commences and nearing the finishing line, the puppet is able to pass the other runners and emerge victorious. The video was filmed at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. The song is the second track from his third studio album, Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
, and is based around a sample from "Kid Charlemagne
Kid Charlemagne
"Kid Charlemagne" is a song by the rock group Steely Dan, which was released as a single from their 1976 album The Royal Scam. It is notable as a fusion of a funk rhythm and jazz harmonies with rock and roll instrumentals and lyrical style, as well as a very famous guitar solo by jazz-fusion...
" by Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
. On September 29, 2007, it managed to enter charts despite not being released as a single, debuting a number ninety-four on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
. An official music video was produced for the song and released on August 12, 2008 on West's blog.
Music video
The music video for "Champion" was directed by NEON. The OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
-themed music video revolves around a puppet version of Kanye West participating in the 100 m sprint in the Unified Games. After receiving permission to race thanks to majority vote on live "K-Span
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
" television broadcast, the scene transits to the starting line, where flashbacks display the extensive training the puppet undertook to get where he is. The race commences and nearing the finishing line, the puppet is able to pass the other runners and emerge victorious. The video was filmed at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California.
Personnel
Information taken from Graduation liner notes.- Songwriters: Kanye West, Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
- Producers: Kanye West, Brian "Allday" Miller
- Recorders: Andrew Dawson, Anthony Kilhoffer
- Mix engineer: Andrew Dawson
- Synthesizer: Omar Edwards
- Additional vocals: Tony "Penafire" Williams, Connie Mitchell
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
99 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
94 |