Released 8 August 2011 Length 4:17 | Genre Hip hop
dubstep | |
Label Roc-A-Fella
Roc Nation
Def Jam Writer(s) Kanye West
Mike Dean
Shawn Corey Carter
Joshua Steele Producer(s) Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph
Mike Dean | ||
"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). The song is the ninth song on the official track list for the album. 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.
Contents
Critical reception
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". 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. 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'." 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. " The Guardian described the song as using "Romping, ravey synths, a big stomp without much give."
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. 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". In its second week on the Hot 100 it dropped to 79, and by the third week it exited the chart entirely. 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.