Jesus Walks
Encyclopedia
"Jesus Walks" is a hip hop
song by American
rap
artist Kanye West
. It was released on May 25, 2004 as the third single from his debut album, The College Dropout
. The song is built around a sample of "Walk with Me" as performed by the ARC Choir. "Jesus Walks" was well-received by music critics, who praised its compelling sonic atmosphere and boldness in its open embrace of faith. It was met by widespread commercial recognition, peaking at number eleven on the Billboard
Hot 100 and becoming West's fourth consecutive top twenty hit in the United States
.
The single was accompanied by three separate music video
s, each of which visually interpreted a portion of its multifaceted context in different ways. "Jesus Walks" continues to be a crowd favorite and stands as one of the most-performed songs by West, who has included it within all of his headlining tours. At the 47th Grammy Awards, "Jesus Walks" was awarded the Grammy for Best Rap Song
. Rolling Stone
named the song #19 on their list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s decade. It was also added on the 2010 updated list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
", coming in at #273. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 69 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
seem to shy away from songs that address matters of faith, while embracing songs discussing violence
, sex
, and illegal drugs. He rhymes, "So here go my single, dog, radio needs this/They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus/That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes/But if I talk about God my record won't get played, huh?" This is directly taken from West's experiences when he was struggling to get signed onto a record label; many executives turned him down after he played a "Jesus Walks" demo
for them. They reasoned that he did not conform to the stereotypes associated with mainstream hip-hop and therefore was not easily marketable. Many of his friends in the music industry also warned him that while the song was outstanding, it would never make it to radio.
with a moderate tempo
of 87 beats per minute and composed in the key of E-flat minor. The song expresses a potent, pulsing rhythm
reminiscent of a marching band
, accompanied by baritone
background vocal samples which emit a chant in cadence
to the beat. Because of these elements, the composition has been widely described as evoking a militaristic atmosphere. The song begins with a medium tempo followed by its backing vocals and choral arrangement. After West's brief opening dialog, a drumroll sounds and the song's titular hook
is belted by an echoey children's choir coupled with the chorus
while its melody
is laced with auto-tune
-processed gospel
wails. Over time the song amasses itself, exhibiting multi-tracked violin
flourishes and momentary vocal solos, gradually growing in intensity before peaking and immediately dissipating. The song repeats this process several times until it fades away completely at its conclusion.
The militant soundscape of "Jesus Walks" is complemented by its lyrical nuances. In the intro
, the voice of a drill sergeant initiates the song with a "Order Arms" and is answered by a squad of soldiers who shout "1-2-3-4!" This exchange is followed by West's opening lines, where he declares, "we are at war with ourselves." West retains a considerable amount of dynamics in his rap
delivery, as his flow features constant shifts in cadence, pitch
, and volume
over the simplistic rhythm. During the chorus, his voice builds in intensity in conjunction with the similarly swelling track, and peaks and fades away just before it follows suit. He also employs various rhyme scheme
s and phrasal techniques, at one point even using a call-and-response
pattern.
For the official remix of "Jesus Walks," West had the opportunity to work with Mase
, who had then recently come out of retirement from being a minister to deliver a new verse. Mase spoke positively following the collaboration, saying, "I appreciate people like [him], people that dare to be different. Hip-hop is supposed to be an avenue of expression, and people are supposed to be able to express what they feel, what they believe." The remix was later released on a bonus disc within his The College Dropout Video Anthology
compilation DVD with an additional verse provided by Common
.
, Village Voice synopsized the song as a "desperate masterpiece." Stylus Magazine
music reviewer Josh Love cited "Jesus Walks" as the best song on the entire album, saying "Kanye makes his spiritual toil sound like triumph thanks to marital drums and a little gospel choir fervor, sounding a clarion call of salvation to all would-be doubters and haters. He swears that he's not trying to 'convert atheists into believers,' but listening to The College Dropout might just convince you that Kanye West is the Second City
's Second Coming." The Los Angeles Times similarly considered "Jesus Walks" to be the highlight of the album, stating, "Its pulsating drums serve as the perfect backing for West's reflections on his own mistakes as well as hip-hop's tendency to focus on negative subject matter." PopMatters
, which hailed "Jesus Walks" as the year's best single, listed the song as one of the primary tracks which exemplified the thoughtfulness and scholastic complexity inherent of The College Dropout as a whole, commenting that, "On 'Jesus Walks' Kanye proclaims his devotion to Jesus
as seriously as the most devotional hymn singer
would, while illustrating the way he falls in and out of what he perceives as the good path to follow. 'I wanna talk to God
but I'm afraid cause we ain't spoke in so long,' he confesses, but then he goes ahead and asks us all to join him in that conversation, to push the song onto radio and push the divine into the heart of public dialogue. Extra dimensions are added to the song by the intense, cinematic presence it has, with all of the drama of a gangster film's climactic scenes, and by a Curtis Mayfield
drop that makes the song ripe for a study of intertextuality."
Alongside its subject matter, the production quality of the track received equal acclaim, with Garry Mulholland of The Observer
chronicling it as "[a] towering inferno of martial beats, fathoms-deep chain gang backing chants, a defiant children's choir, gospel wails, and sizzling orchestral breaks." Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
, who classified "Jesus Walks" as a gospel song, concurred with this sentiment, describing the song's choral arrangement as "clever". Blender
likened the beat of the song to a "phantom marching army" and testified that the "lush, intricate" production of the track gave off an "uplifting" presence. Time
magazine critic Josh Tyrangiel
declared "Jesus Walks" as "one of those miraculous songs that you hear for the first time and immediately look forward to hearing on a semiregular basis for the next 30 or 40 years." Sasha Frere-Jones
of The New Yorker
asserted that the song, "sounds simultaneously like V-Day
and like a funeral” and concluded his review stating, "In a different year, 'Jesus Walks' might register as an eccentric's conflation of faith, commerce, and war. In 2004, it's a popular state of consciousness."
, Rolling Stone
, and Village Voice. The song received a nomination for Outstanding Song
as well as Outstanding Music Video
at the 36th NAACP Image Awards
. At the Grammy Awards of 2005
, "Jesus Walks" was nominated for Song of the Year
, one of ten total nominations West received for that year alone. West, Rhymefest
and Miri Ben-Ari
won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
for co-writing the song's lyrics and violin arrangements respectively. West received a nomination for Best Gospel Artist
for "Jesus Walks" at the 2005 BET Awards
, although he was not an actual gospel musician. Rolling Stone placed Jesus Walks as the 19th best song of the 2000s decade.
As a result of the significance and impact of "Jesus Walks", in August, The College Dropout was nominated for several gospel Stellar Awards
, including Best Gospel Rap Album. However, the awards committees determined that the secular album was ineligible and subsequently withdrew the ballot. West surmised that the fact that they recognized the song in the first place demonstrated its impact, and said the song and its message was not meant for the evangelical audience, but for "... the people that I think God is really trying to reach." He also clarified that he does not view himself as a religious person, saying, "Religion just means that you do something over and over. I will say that I'm spiritual. I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. And I will say that I fall short every day." Kanye later claimed that when his father heard the song, he said, "Maybe you missed your calling." To which West replied, "No, maybe this is my calling. I reach more people than any one pastor can." In retrospect, West maintained that while he was surprised by the accolades the song received, he had long predicted the radio success of "Jesus Walks". For him, it was all just a matter of attaining airplay, saying, "It was never a problem once it came out. All I did was use reverse psychology
. It was a way of calling out people who didn't want to play it without pointing fingers at anybody."
the night her son performed the song at a youth revival center. Darryl McDaniels
of the groundbreaking hip hop group Run-DMC told Time
magazine that he had grown indifferent towards contemporary rap music and ceased listening to it until he heard "Jesus Walks".
Hot 100 for the week of its first appearance, entering the chart at number sixty-eight on April 29, 2004. Over the next eight weeks, the song climbed up the chart until it eventually reached a peak of sixteen for the issue dated July 3, where it remained for four weeks. On the issue dated July 24, the song climbed up two places to reach the fourteenth position. "Jesus Walks" reached its overall peak at number eleven on the issue date of July 31, where it stayed for two weeks in a row. "Jesus Walks" has since sold over half a million copies in the United States
alone, earning a Gold
certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
.
On the issue date of January 31, 2004, "Jesus Walks" debuted at number sixteen on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, which is equivalent to one-hundred and sixteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. The following week, it reached its peak on the chart at number twelve. Two weeks later, "Jesus Walks" appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number seventy-four on the issue dated February 21. After sixth months had passed, the track finally reached its peak at number two for the issue dated August 14 and maintained the position for two whole weeks. "Jesus Walks" first came in at number twenty-five on Hot Rap Tracks
for the issue dated April 17. On the issue date of August 7, the song peaked at number three.
"Jesus Walks" attained a certain extent of international success as well. In Ireland
, the song peaked at number eighteen on of September 2, 2004, where it remained for two weeks. The song's highest debut occurred in the United Kingdom
, where it entered at its peak position of sixteen on September 5, becoming West's third top-twenty hit. On March 14, 2005, the song debuted in the Australian Singles Chart at number thirty-seven.
, where West explained, "That song evokes so much emotion, and four minutes of imagery limits the ideas that you're supposed to give for the songs, so I had to do three." Kanye had originally wanted Hype Williams
to direct the first version of "Jesus Walks" but decided not to because he had heard that Jay-Z
was thinking about enlisting Williams for "99 Problems
." Instead, West went with Michael Haussman
for the music video, which was filmed in California
and budgeted at $650,000. In the video, West is portrayed as a preacher rapping before a congregation from a pulpit while angels guide a prostitute, an alcoholic, and a drug dealer to his Baptist
church.
West was not satisfied with the music video and convinced then-label head Dame Dash to commission another, this time for $500,000. The second version was directed by Chris Milk
and takes place in the deep South. The core concept behind the video, which Milk described as his most complex narrative, was to take various deplorable characters and merge them with biblical iconography in order convey the message that God
is with them. The secondary objective was to display the duality of man. The video stands as the most metaphorical of the three, as it features West rapping in a hallway which is filled alternately with hellish flames and angelic light, in conjunction with footage of drug traffickers being pursued through a barren desert by police, prison camp inmates battling with guards, and a Ku Klux Klan
sman setting himself on fire while carrying a burning cross up a mountain. The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2005 Video Music Awards where it received the award for Best Male Video. It also won Video of the Year at the 2005 BET Awards
. PopMatters
listed this version of "Jesus Walks" as the sixth best music video of 2004.
The final version of "Jesus Walks" was filmed in West's hometown of Chicago
and co-directed by himself with Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah of Channel Zero. Filmed guerrilla-style
within the course of one day at a budget of $40,000, the third version was the least expensive of the three. It depicts the Jesus
in the modern day, literally walking beside the protagonist as he travels from his home to church, performing miracles along the way. The video premiered on MTV.com on June 23, 2004.
at a concert with Dilated Peoples
held in the House of Blues
on May 5, 2004. West provided a performance of "Jesus Walks" for the opening of the 2004 BET Awards
, in which he stood behind a pulpit and was accompanied by a choir
, drumline
and gospel
singer Yolanda Adams
. While serving as the opening act for Usher
's The Truth Tour, West performed "Jesus Walks" as his finale. West opened the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards
with a theatrical performance of "Jesus Walks." He led a 32-member choir around an arena filled with audience members holding artificial candles and had stained glass
windows descend from the ceiling as he joined John Legend
, Chaka Khan
, and Syleena Johnson
onstage. During his appearance at Dave Chapelle's Block Party in September, West performed "Jesus Walks" accompanied by a Central State University
marching band. He provided a performance of "Jesus Walks" during his brief appearance at Brixton Academy in London
on November 24.
West performed "Jesus Walks" at the 47th Grammy Awards ceremony just prior to his receival of the award for Best Rap Album
. This performance, which featured West's mother Donda West, was joined in a sequence with Mavis Staples
and John Legend
's rendition of "I'll Take You There
" and a performance of "I'll Fly Away
" by the Blind Boys of Alabama. At the conclusion, the performers encircled and covered West, who eventually emerged donning an all-white suit with large angelic wings. That July, West played the song during his set at a Live 8
show held in Philadelphia's Museum of Art
, where he was backed by an eleven-piece female string orchestra
decked out in black masks and garments. As he played, Will Smith
and DJ Jazzy Jeff
danced to the song backstage. Accompanied by a seventeen-piece, all-female string orchestra, West performed "Jesus Walks" live for an exclusive concert held at Abbey Road Studios
in London, England on September 21. The performance was recorded and later released on a live album
entitled Late Orchestration
. He included "Jesus Walks" within the setlist of his Touch the Sky Tour that took place in late 2005.
Wearing a Detroit Pistons
jacket, West performed the song for a pre-game concert held during VH1
's Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash on February 2, 2006. He played "Jesus Walks" near the end of his concert at the Hammersmith Apollo
in London on February 12. The following week, West performed the song once again at the Manchester
MEN Arena with DJ A-Trak
, two backing vocalists, a nine-piece female string orchestra and a harpist. The performance concluded by displaying an image of the Cristo de la Concordia
on a gigantic monitor. West played "Jesus Walks" during his appearance at the first day of Coachella
2006 in Indio, California
, where he later on had A-Trak spin A-Ha
's "Take on Me
" while he danced onstage to the delight of the audience. On June 22, West performed the song while attending a benefit held in New York
staged for the non-profit Foundation for AIDS Research
.
Kanye provided a performance of the song during his set at Live Earth 2007
, before joining The Police
and John Mayer
onstage to perform "Message in a Bottle
" for the concert's finale. West performed "Jesus Walks" live for the Concert for Diana
held at Wembley Stadium
on July 1, 2007 to a crowd of over 63,000 people. An estimated 500 million people watched the event in over 140 countries worldwide. The very next day, West performed the song as the finale of his gig at the Manchester Apollo
for the Manchester International Festival
. "Jesus Walks" was included within the setlist of West's conceptual Glow in the Dark Tour
that first took off in late 2007. During the concert, an LCD screen seated behind him displayed a skyline filled with lightning bolts while fumes billowed from the stage on the hook. That August, West played "Jesus Walks" at the Exdo Event Center in Denver for a private show at held for Bono
's humanitarian organization ONE
. West gave a performance of "Jesus Walks" before an audience of 3,000 students during his free Stay In School benefit concert at Chicago Theatre
on July 11, 2009. He performed the song in Hyde Park, London
while headlining the second and final day of the 2009 Wireless Festival
.
US 12" single
A-Side
B-Side
Australia CD single
UK CD single
UK Promo single
Live Digital single
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...
song 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...
. It was released on May 25, 2004 as the third single from his debut album, The College Dropout
The College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
. The song is built around a sample of "Walk with Me" as performed by the ARC Choir. "Jesus Walks" was well-received by music critics, who praised its compelling sonic atmosphere and boldness in its open embrace of faith. It was met by widespread commercial recognition, peaking at number eleven 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...
Hot 100 and becoming West's fourth consecutive top twenty hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The single was accompanied by three separate music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, each of which visually interpreted a portion of its multifaceted context in different ways. "Jesus Walks" continues to be a crowd favorite and stands as one of the most-performed songs by West, who has included it within all of his headlining tours. At the 47th Grammy Awards, "Jesus Walks" was awarded the Grammy for Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
named the song #19 on their list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s decade. It was also added on the 2010 updated list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
", coming in at #273. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 69 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Background
The song is essentially a spiritual exultation, wherein West discusses how Jesus "walks" with all manner of people, from the sinner to the saint. Towards this end, the first conceptual verse of the song is told through the eyes of a drug dealer contemplating his relationship with God. It reportedly took over six months for West to draw inspiration for the second verse. West also uses the song to express his critical views on how the mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
seem to shy away from songs that address matters of faith, while embracing songs discussing violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, and illegal drugs. He rhymes, "So here go my single, dog, radio needs this/They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus/That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes/But if I talk about God my record won't get played, huh?" This is directly taken from West's experiences when he was struggling to get signed onto a record label; many executives turned him down after he played a "Jesus Walks" demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
for them. They reasoned that he did not conform to the stereotypes associated with mainstream hip-hop and therefore was not easily marketable. Many of his friends in the music industry also warned him that while the song was outstanding, it would never make it to radio.
Composition
"Jesus Walks" is a mid-tempo hip-hop song. It is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 87 beats per minute and composed in the key of E-flat minor. The song expresses a potent, pulsing rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
reminiscent of a marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
, accompanied by baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
background vocal samples which emit a chant in cadence
Cadence (music)
In Western musical theory, a cadence is, "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finality or pause]." A harmonic cadence is a progression of two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music...
to the beat. Because of these elements, the composition has been widely described as evoking a militaristic atmosphere. The song begins with a medium tempo followed by its backing vocals and choral arrangement. After West's brief opening dialog, a drumroll sounds and the song's titular hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
is belted by an echoey children's choir coupled with the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
while its melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
is laced with auto-tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
-processed gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
wails. Over time the song amasses itself, exhibiting multi-tracked violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
flourishes and momentary vocal solos, gradually growing in intensity before peaking and immediately dissipating. The song repeats this process several times until it fades away completely at its conclusion.
The militant soundscape of "Jesus Walks" is complemented by its lyrical nuances. In the intro
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
, the voice of a drill sergeant initiates the song with a "Order Arms" and is answered by a squad of soldiers who shout "1-2-3-4!" This exchange is followed by West's opening lines, where he declares, "we are at war with ourselves." West retains a considerable amount of dynamics in his rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
delivery, as his flow features constant shifts in cadence, pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
, and volume
Loudness
Loudness is the quality of a sound that is primarily a psychological correlate of physical strength . More formally, it is defined as "that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud."Loudness, a subjective measure, is often...
over the simplistic rhythm. During the chorus, his voice builds in intensity in conjunction with the similarly swelling track, and peaks and fades away just before it follows suit. He also employs various rhyme scheme
Rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyme between lines of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme. In other words, it is the pattern of end rhymes or lines...
s and phrasal techniques, at one point even using a call-and-response
Call and response (music)
In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first...
pattern.
For the official remix of "Jesus Walks," West had the opportunity to work with Mase
Mase
Mason Durell Betha , better known by stage name Mase who was previously known as Murda Ma$e, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and inspirational speaker...
, who had then recently come out of retirement from being a minister to deliver a new verse. Mase spoke positively following the collaboration, saying, "I appreciate people like [him], people that dare to be different. Hip-hop is supposed to be an avenue of expression, and people are supposed to be able to express what they feel, what they believe." The remix was later released on a bonus disc within his The College Dropout Video Anthology
The College Dropout Video Anthology
The College Dropout Video Anthology was a DVD released featuring the music videos to the singles from Kanye West's first studio album, The College Dropout, released on March 22, 2005...
compilation DVD with an additional verse provided by Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
.
Critical reception
The single received immense praise from critics for its open embracement of faith in the face of the oft-secular music industry, with many expressing their astonishment that such an overtly religious song was embraced by radio. In a review of The College DropoutThe College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
, Village Voice synopsized the song as a "desperate masterpiece." Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
music reviewer Josh Love cited "Jesus Walks" as the best song on the entire album, saying "Kanye makes his spiritual toil sound like triumph thanks to marital drums and a little gospel choir fervor, sounding a clarion call of salvation to all would-be doubters and haters. He swears that he's not trying to 'convert atheists into believers,' but listening to The College Dropout might just convince you that Kanye West is the Second City
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Second Coming." The Los Angeles Times similarly considered "Jesus Walks" to be the highlight of the album, stating, "Its pulsating drums serve as the perfect backing for West's reflections on his own mistakes as well as hip-hop's tendency to focus on negative subject matter." PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, which hailed "Jesus Walks" as the year's best single, listed the song as one of the primary tracks which exemplified the thoughtfulness and scholastic complexity inherent of The College Dropout as a whole, commenting that, "On 'Jesus Walks' Kanye proclaims his devotion to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
as seriously as the most devotional hymn singer
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
would, while illustrating the way he falls in and out of what he perceives as the good path to follow. 'I wanna talk to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
but I'm afraid cause we ain't spoke in so long,' he confesses, but then he goes ahead and asks us all to join him in that conversation, to push the song onto radio and push the divine into the heart of public dialogue. Extra dimensions are added to the song by the intense, cinematic presence it has, with all of the drama of a gangster film's climactic scenes, and by a Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
drop that makes the song ripe for a study of intertextuality."
Alongside its subject matter, the production quality of the track received equal acclaim, with Garry Mulholland of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
chronicling it as "[a] towering inferno of martial beats, fathoms-deep chain gang backing chants, a defiant children's choir, gospel wails, and sizzling orchestral breaks." Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, who classified "Jesus Walks" as a gospel song, concurred with this sentiment, describing the song's choral arrangement as "clever". Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
likened the beat of the song to a "phantom marching army" and testified that the "lush, intricate" production of the track gave off an "uplifting" presence. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine critic Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist, and editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He joined the magazine following its acquisition by Bloomberg L.P. in December 2009. Prior to joining Bloomberg Businessweek, Tyrangiel was deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and managing editor of TIME.com...
declared "Jesus Walks" as "one of those miraculous songs that you hear for the first time and immediately look forward to hearing on a semiregular basis for the next 30 or 40 years." Sasha Frere-Jones
Sasha Frere-Jones
Sasha Frere-Jones is an American writer, music critic, and musician. He has written for Pretty Decorating, ego trip, Hit It And Quit It, Mean, Slant, The New York Post, The Wire, The Village Voice, Slate, Spin, and The New York Times...
of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
asserted that the song, "sounds simultaneously like V-Day
Victory Day
Victory Day is a common name of many different public holidays in various countries to commemorate victories in important battles or wars in the countries' history.- April 30 in Vietnam :...
and like a funeral” and concluded his review stating, "In a different year, 'Jesus Walks' might register as an eccentric's conflation of faith, commerce, and war. In 2004, it's a popular state of consciousness."
Awards
"Jesus Walks" was praised as one of the best songs of the year by numerous publications, including BlenderBlender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, and Village Voice. The song received a nomination for Outstanding Song
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song
The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Song:...
as well as Outstanding Music Video
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video
The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Music Video:-Stats:As of the 2010 ceremony, Alicia Keys has the most wins with 3. Whitney Houston, R. Kelly & Will Smith have 2 wins.*Most Nominations**1. Alicia Keys - 8 nominations...
at the 36th NAACP Image Awards
36th NAACP Image Awards
The 36th Image Awards, given by NAACP on March 19, 2005, honored the best in film, television and music for 2004.-Film:*Outstanding Picture: Ray*Outstanding Actor: Jamie Foxx - Ray*Outstanding Actress: Kerry Washington - Ray...
. At the Grammy Awards of 2005
Grammy Awards of 2005
The 47th Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Queen Latifah , and televised in the United States by CBS. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year...
, "Jesus Walks" was nominated for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
, one of ten total nominations West received for that year alone. West, Rhymefest
Rhymefest
Che Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced...
and Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari is an Israeli violinist, who currently resides in the United States.Ben-Ari grew up playing classical music; she started training at age 5 and at age 12, she was presented with a violin by Isaac Stern. During her mandatory Israeli military service, she was chosen to play for the...
won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
for co-writing the song's lyrics and violin arrangements respectively. West received a nomination for Best Gospel Artist
BET Award for Best Gospel Artist
The BET Award for Best Gospel Artist is given to an urban contemporary gospel artist....
for "Jesus Walks" at the 2005 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, although he was not an actual gospel musician. Rolling Stone placed Jesus Walks as the 19th best song of the 2000s decade.
As a result of the significance and impact of "Jesus Walks", in August, The College Dropout was nominated for several gospel Stellar Awards
Stellar Awards
The Stellar Awards is the first Gospel Music Awards show in the country, honoring Gospel Music Artists, writers, and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry. The Stellar Awards ranks high in status as the only Gospel Music television awards program syndicated in...
, including Best Gospel Rap Album. However, the awards committees determined that the secular album was ineligible and subsequently withdrew the ballot. West surmised that the fact that they recognized the song in the first place demonstrated its impact, and said the song and its message was not meant for the evangelical audience, but for "... the people that I think God is really trying to reach." He also clarified that he does not view himself as a religious person, saying, "Religion just means that you do something over and over. I will say that I'm spiritual. I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. And I will say that I fall short every day." Kanye later claimed that when his father heard the song, he said, "Maybe you missed your calling." To which West replied, "No, maybe this is my calling. I reach more people than any one pastor can." In retrospect, West maintained that while he was surprised by the accolades the song received, he had long predicted the radio success of "Jesus Walks". For him, it was all just a matter of attaining airplay, saying, "It was never a problem once it came out. All I did was use reverse psychology
Reverse psychology
Reverse psychology is a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested...
. It was a way of calling out people who didn't want to play it without pointing fingers at anybody."
Impact
"Jesus Walks" has been credited with helping to abate the antagonistic gap that once separated mainstream rap music and the religious church. Since then, countless ministries began to embrace hip hop and incorporate the musical genre into their gospel services. In her biographical book, Kanye's mother Donda West recalled an instance where over three hundred adolescents gave their lives to ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
the night her son performed the song at a youth revival center. Darryl McDaniels
Darryl McDaniels
-Video game appearances:*The Warriors - Scopes*Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Himself- External links :* * * * * http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12...
of the groundbreaking hip hop group Run-DMC told Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine that he had grown indifferent towards contemporary rap music and ceased listening to it until he heard "Jesus Walks".
Chart performance
Despite all prior disapproval, "Jesus Walks" came to be one of West's biggest hits. The single was the highest debut on the BillboardBillboard (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...
Hot 100 for the week of its first appearance, entering the chart at number sixty-eight on April 29, 2004. Over the next eight weeks, the song climbed up the chart until it eventually reached a peak of sixteen for the issue dated July 3, where it remained for four weeks. On the issue dated July 24, the song climbed up two places to reach the fourteenth position. "Jesus Walks" reached its overall peak at number eleven on the issue date of July 31, where it stayed for two weeks in a row. "Jesus Walks" has since sold over half a million copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alone, earning a Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
On the issue date of January 31, 2004, "Jesus Walks" debuted at number sixteen on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, which is equivalent to one-hundred and sixteen on the 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,...
chart. The following week, it reached its peak on the chart at number twelve. Two weeks later, "Jesus Walks" appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number seventy-four on the issue dated February 21. After sixth months had passed, the track finally reached its peak at number two for the issue dated August 14 and maintained the position for two whole weeks. "Jesus Walks" first came in at number twenty-five on Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
for the issue dated April 17. On the issue date of August 7, the song peaked at number three.
"Jesus Walks" attained a certain extent of international success as well. In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the song peaked at number eighteen on of September 2, 2004, where it remained for two weeks. The song's highest debut occurred in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it entered at its peak position of sixteen on September 5, becoming West's third top-twenty hit. On March 14, 2005, the song debuted in the Australian Singles Chart at number thirty-seven.
Music videos
In total, three separate music videos were made for "Jesus Walks," with the second and third financed by West himself out-of-pocket. All three were premiered on June 21, 2004 at TriBeCa CinemasTribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
, where West explained, "That song evokes so much emotion, and four minutes of imagery limits the ideas that you're supposed to give for the songs, so I had to do three." Kanye had originally wanted Hype Williams
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
to direct the first version of "Jesus Walks" but decided not to because he had heard that Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
was thinking about enlisting Williams for "99 Problems
99 Problems
"99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2004 from The Black Album. Throughout the song Jay-Z tells a story about dealing with a racist cop who wants to illegally search his car, dealing with rap critics, and dealing with an aggressor...
." Instead, West went with Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman is an American music video, motion picture and television advertisement director, writer and producer.Michael Haussman is a director, writer and artist, whose internationally acclaimed commercials have won numerous awards and are featured in advertising books and trade journals...
for the music video, which was filmed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and budgeted at $650,000. In the video, West is portrayed as a preacher rapping before a congregation from a pulpit while angels guide a prostitute, an alcoholic, and a drug dealer to his Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church.
West was not satisfied with the music video and convinced then-label head Dame Dash to commission another, this time for $500,000. The second version was directed by Chris Milk
Chris Milk
Chris Milk is an American music video director and photographer. He has directed videos for Kanye West, U2, Green Day, Courtney Love, Audioslave, Modest Mouse, Gnarls Barkley and Arcade Fire. He also has numerous television commercials to his credit...
and takes place in the deep South. The core concept behind the video, which Milk described as his most complex narrative, was to take various deplorable characters and merge them with biblical iconography in order convey the message that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is with them. The secondary objective was to display the duality of man. The video stands as the most metaphorical of the three, as it features West rapping in a hallway which is filled alternately with hellish flames and angelic light, in conjunction with footage of drug traffickers being pursued through a barren desert by police, prison camp inmates battling with guards, and a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
sman setting himself on fire while carrying a burning cross up a mountain. The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2005 Video Music Awards where it received the award for Best Male Video. It also won Video of the Year at the 2005 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
listed this version of "Jesus Walks" as the sixth best music video of 2004.
The final version of "Jesus Walks" was filmed in West's hometown of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and co-directed by himself with Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah of Channel Zero. Filmed guerrilla-style
Guerrilla filmmaking
Guerrilla filmmaking refers to a form of independent filmmaking characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews, and simple props using whatever is available...
within the course of one day at a budget of $40,000, the third version was the least expensive of the three. It depicts the Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in the modern day, literally walking beside the protagonist as he travels from his home to church, performing miracles along the way. The video premiered on MTV.com on June 23, 2004.
Live performances
Thanks to its fervid sound and widespread popularity, "Jesus Walks" has since become a crowd favorite and Kanye West has performed it on numerous occasions around the globe. West included the song within the set list of his School Spirit Tour that took place in early 2004. An early live performance of the song occurred in his hometown of ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at a concert with Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...
held in the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
on May 5, 2004. West provided a performance of "Jesus Walks" for the opening of the 2004 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, in which he stood behind a pulpit and was accompanied by a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
. While serving as the opening act for Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
's The Truth Tour, West performed "Jesus Walks" as his finale. West opened the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards
2004 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2004, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show took place at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida, and, unlike in previous years, had no host.-Video of the Year:...
with a theatrical performance of "Jesus Walks." He led a 32-member choir around an arena filled with audience members holding artificial candles and had stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows descend from the ceiling as he joined John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, and Syleena Johnson
Syleena Johnson
Syleena Johnson is a Grammy award-nominated American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and actress.-Biography:...
onstage. During his appearance at Dave Chapelle's Block Party in September, West performed "Jesus Walks" accompanied by a Central State University
Central State University
Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...
marching band. He provided a performance of "Jesus Walks" during his brief appearance at Brixton Academy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on November 24.
West performed "Jesus Walks" at the 47th Grammy Awards ceremony just prior to his receival of the award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
. This performance, which featured West's mother Donda West, was joined in a sequence with Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band.-Biography:...
and John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
's rendition of "I'll Take You There
I'll Take You There
"I'll Take You There" is a number-one single written and produced by Al Bell and performed by soul/gospel family band The Staple Singers, released on Stax Records in February 1972...
" and a performance of "I'll Fly Away
I'll Fly Away
"I'll Fly Away", is a hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled Wonderful Message...
" by the Blind Boys of Alabama. At the conclusion, the performers encircled and covered West, who eventually emerged donning an all-white suit with large angelic wings. That July, West played the song during his set at a Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
show held in Philadelphia's Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
, where he was backed by an eleven-piece female string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
decked out in black masks and garments. As he played, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and DJ Jazzy Jeff
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...
danced to the song backstage. Accompanied by a seventeen-piece, all-female string orchestra, West performed "Jesus Walks" live for an exclusive concert held at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in London, England on September 21. The performance was recorded and later released on a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
entitled Late Orchestration
Late Orchestration
Late Orchestration is a live album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released on April 24, 2006 on Mercury Records. The album features recordings of live renditions of songs derived from his first two studio albums. It was recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London, England before an...
. He included "Jesus Walks" within the setlist of his Touch the Sky Tour that took place in late 2005.
Wearing a Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
jacket, West performed the song for a pre-game concert held during VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash on February 2, 2006. He played "Jesus Walks" near the end of his concert at the Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
in London on February 12. The following week, West performed the song once again at the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
MEN Arena with DJ A-Trak
A-Trak
A-Trak is a Montreal-born DJ, turntablist, and owner of the record label Fool's Gold.- Career :...
, two backing vocalists, a nine-piece female string orchestra and a harpist. The performance concluded by displaying an image of the Cristo de la Concordia
Cristo de la Concordia
Cristo de la Concordia is a statue of Jesus Christ located on San Pedro hill in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The statue is tall, on a pedestal of , bringing its total height to...
on a gigantic monitor. West played "Jesus Walks" during his appearance at the first day of Coachella
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
2006 in Indio, California
Indio, California
Indio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, east of Riverside, and east of Los Angeles. It is about north of Mexicali, Baja California on the U.S.-Mexican border...
, where he later on had A-Trak spin A-Ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
's "Take on Me
Take on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" while he danced onstage to the delight of the audience. On June 22, West performed the song while attending a benefit held in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
staged for the non-profit Foundation for AIDS Research
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
.
Kanye provided a performance of the song during his set at Live Earth 2007
Live Earth (2007 concert)
Live Earth is an annual event developed to combat climate change. The first series of benefit concerts were held on July 7, 2007. The concerts brought together more than 150 musical acts in eleven locations around the world which were broadcast to a mass global audience through televisions, radio,...
, before joining The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
and John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
onstage to perform "Message in a Bottle
Message in a Bottle (song)
"Message in a Bottle" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.The song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. A year later, he has not received any sort of response, and despairs, thinking he is...
" for the concert's finale. West performed "Jesus Walks" live for the Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
held at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on July 1, 2007 to a crowd of over 63,000 people. An estimated 500 million people watched the event in over 140 countries worldwide. The very next day, West performed the song as the finale of his gig at the Manchester Apollo
Manchester Apollo
O2 Apollo Manchester is a concert venue in Manchester, England. Locally known as The Apollo, it is a listed building, with a capacity of 3,500 ....
for the Manchester International Festival
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...
. "Jesus Walks" was included within the setlist of West's conceptual Glow in the Dark Tour
Glow in the Dark Tour
The Glow in the Dark Tour is a critically acclaimed world concert tour by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, and Nas. It began on April 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and travelled to Latin America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Australia through to early December.The tour...
that first took off in late 2007. During the concert, an LCD screen seated behind him displayed a skyline filled with lightning bolts while fumes billowed from the stage on the hook. That August, West played "Jesus Walks" at the Exdo Event Center in Denver for a private show at held for Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
's humanitarian organization ONE
ONE Campaign
The ONE Campaign is an international, nonpartisan, non-profit organization which aims to increase government funding for and effectiveness of international aid programs....
. West gave a performance of "Jesus Walks" before an audience of 3,000 students during his free Stay In School benefit concert at Chicago Theatre
Chicago Theatre
The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother...
on July 11, 2009. He performed the song in Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
while headlining the second and final day of the 2009 Wireless Festival
Wireless Festival
The Wireless Festival is a music festival in England that takes place every year in Hyde Park, London, and took place at Harewood House, Leeds in 2006 and 2007. It is owned and managed by Live Nation....
.
Track listings
US Promo single- "Jesus Walks" (Main) – 3:13
- "Jesus Walks" (Clean) – 3:13
US 12" single
A-Side
- "Jesus Walks" (Clean) – 3:13
- "Jesus Walks" (Dirty) – 3:13
- "Jesus Walks" (A cappella) – 3:09
B-Side
- "Heavy Hitters" (Clean) – 3:00
- "Heavy Hitters" (Dirty) – 3:01
- "Heavy Hitters" (A cappella) – 3:00
Australia CD single
- "Jesus Walks" (Album version) – 3:20
- "Jesus Walks" (Live) – 4:06
- "Through the Wire" (Live) – 4:23
- "Jesus Walks" (Mase remix) – 6:26
- "Jesus Walks" (Church version) – 3:59
UK CD single
- "Jesus Walks" (Album version) – 3:21
- "Jesus Walks" (Live in Paridiso 2004) – 4:07
- "Through the Wire" (Live in Paridiso 2004) – 4:23
- "Jesus Walks" (Mase remix) – 3:52
- "Jesus Walks" (Video version 2) – 4:06
- "Jesus Walks" (Video version 3) – 4:18
UK Promo single
- "Jesus Walks (Clean) – 3:20
- "Jesus Walks (12" Version) – 3:20
- "Jesus Walks (A Capella) – 3:09
- "Breathe In Breathe Out (Edited) – 4:06
- "Breathe In Breathe Out (Explicit) – 4:06
Live Digital single
- "Jesus Walks" (Live) – 3:31
Chart positions
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 37 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
4 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
18 |
| U.S. 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... Hot 100 |
11 |
| 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,... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 16 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
16 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 43 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 7 |
Sales and certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold | 500,000+ |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| North America North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |
Vinyl, 12" | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Vinyl, 12", CD | |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
CD | |
Personnel
Information taken from The College Dropout liner notes.- Songwriters: Kanye WestKanye WestKanye 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...
, Che SmithRhymefestChe Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced... - Record producer: Kanye West
- Recorder: Tasuya Sato, Andrew Dawson, Eugene A. Toale
- Mix engineer: Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....
- Additional vocals: John LegendJohn LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
- Violin: Miri Ben-AriMiri Ben-AriMiri Ben-Ari is an Israeli violinist, who currently resides in the United States.Ben-Ari grew up playing classical music; she started training at age 5 and at age 12, she was presented with a violin by Isaac Stern. During her mandatory Israeli military service, she was chosen to play for the...
- Choir arranger: Curtis LundyCurtis LundyCurtis Lundy is an American double bass player, composer, producer, choir director and arranger. Lundy is best-known for his work as part of jazz vocalist Betty Carter's band, through whose ranks several eventually renowned musicians have passed....