Which Chaka Khan song is sampled in Kanye West's Through the Wire?

Kanye West's “Through the Wire” samples Chaka Khan's song “Through the Fire.”

West used a sped-up, pitch-shifted version of Khan's 1985 R&B single, turning its vocal melody into the track's distinctive chipmunk-soul hook. The title also plays on the phrase “through the fire,” while referring to West recording with his jaw wired shut after a serious 2002 car crash.

“Through the Wire” was recorded in Los Angeles after the October 23, 2002 crash and became West's breakthrough solo single. Its sample connects the song's romantic source material to West's account of pain, recovery, and determination. The song was released as a single in 2003 and later appeared on The College Dropout.

A frequent confusion is choosing “I Feel for You,” which is the album containing Khan's song, rather than the sampled song itself. Khan did not receive the songwriting credit; David Foster, Tom Keane, and Cynthia Weil, who wrote “Through the Fire,” were credited.