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Show Me The Money: South Korea’s No. 1 Rap Competition

April 10, 2023

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WONHO: Rising Success After Departure From Monsta X

April 8, 2023

In October 2019, member of the K-pop group Monsta X, WONHO, faced allegations of drug usage, resulting in his departure from the group. Fans were disheartened by the news of him leaving and wondered..

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BMI’s Court Case Win Helps Songwriters in the Live Music Industry

April 1, 2023

Songwriters, composers, and publishers have long been underpaid when it comes to the live concert industry. However, a successful court case may be the first step to changing that.....

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How Has Social Media and Music Platforms Influenced and Evolved Music Creators?

March 28, 2023

Society has always placed a high value on music. As technology starts to become more part of our lives, social media and music platforms have become more and more prominent in the music business....

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The 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Put The Spotlight On Songwriters

March 28, 2023

The Latin GRAMMY Awards are changing it up this year for songwriters! On March 21, 2023, The Latin Recording Academy released a press release announcing various additions and changes to the awards...

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Meet NewJeans: The K-Pop Group Taking the World by Storm

March 22, 2023

Even if you haven't heard of NewJeans yet, there's a good chance you'll soon be humming along to their infectious tunes. The Korean pop group is quickly gaining international attention and breaking..

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Max Martin: Why a Pop-Hit Songwriter and Producer Created a Musical

March 31, 2023

Even if you don’t know who Max Martin is, you’ve definitely heard his songs. Hit-pop songs are kind of his thing after all. Martin first stepped into the music world in 1985 as a frontman for....

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MANILA GREY: Vancouver's Rising R&B Duo

March 18, 2023

The Filipino-Canadian duo from Vancouver has been releasing new tracks left and right, and they are known for their most streamed songs on Spotify, “Timezones,” and “Silver Skies.” Previously .......

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How did Miley Cyrus’ Heartbreak Song “Flowers” Break the Spotify Record?

March 17, 2023

The singer, songwriter, and actress Miley Cyrus has recently released a record-breaking song called “Flowers” in January 2023. This song recites her 10-year long relationship with her ex-husband....

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Men I Trust: Canada’s DIY Indie Band That Could Be Your New Favourite

March 4, 2023

Men I Trust is a Canadian indie pop band known for their dreamy and mellow sound. Their music is laid back, incorporating elements of funk, disco, and R&B to create a smooth and groovy vibe that is

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Basics For Building an At-Home Recording Studio

March 3, 2023

Artists like Kaytranada have proved that you don’t need access to a professional recording studio to create well-produced music. As technology and social media have advanced, it is now easier than eve

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Facing the Music: Legal Challenges With AI and Copyright Laws

February 25, 2023

People draw inspiration from others when forming their ideas, it’s a fact of life. Sampling in music is no exception - and artists do it for a variety of reasons. Traditionally, copyright laws and

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Chaka Khan on Kanye West’s Through the Wire – “I hated it; it was an insult!”

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Photo: Frank Micelotta (Getty Images)

Whether you’ve been a fan of Kanye West from the start, or you’ve recently watched his Netflix trilogy “Jeen-Yuhs”, you’ve probably heard his of first breakout single into the rap industry “Through the Wire”, which samples Chaka Khan’s hit song, “Through the Fire”.

Changing the title from “fire” to “wire”, Kanye was inspired to make this song after a car accident left him with a shattered jaw, causing him to undergo surgery. Having found comfort in listening to Khan’s “Through the Fire” during his seven day stay at the hospital, he was inspired to sample the song for one of his own mixtapes. Recorded with his jaw still wired shut, “Through the Wire” was born.

In the scene from part two of “Jeen-Yuhs”, Kanye plays the song for legendary producer Pharrell Williams who, despite only having heard two of Kanye’s songs including “Through the Wire”, is amazed by the song and declares Kanye as one of his favourite artists.

While Chaka Khan, whose son had been good friends with Kanye, was touched at first, she has been vocal over the years on her true feelings of West’s “Through the Wire”. In a recent interview with VladTV, she discusses her distaste for Kanye’s choice of raising the original pitch of the song. After initially being under the impression that her original chorus would remain untouched, Khan says “It was an insult” to the original version of the song.

However after thirty-five years of performing the song, Khan says she’s done with “Through the Fire” and isn’t as heated as she used to be after all.