Which actor appears on Kanye West's single 'Gold Digger'?

Jamie Foxx appears on Kanye West’s single “Gold Digger.”

Foxx contributes the prominent sung hook, drawing on Ray Charles’s 1954 song “I Got a Woman.” His involvement connected West’s hip-hop production with Foxx’s established career as an actor, comedian, and singer. Foxx had also portrayed Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film Ray, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

“Gold Digger” was recorded for West’s second studio album, Late Registration, released in 2005. West reshaped the song’s concept from an earlier version he had written for Shawnna, turning it into a sharp, humorous commentary on relationships, money, and celebrity culture. Jon Brion helped produce the finished track alongside West.

Listeners sometimes confuse Foxx’s appearance here with his role in “Slow Jamz,” another early West collaboration. In “Gold Digger,” however, Foxx is the featured performer whose vocal refrain drives the song’s most recognizable section.