Talk:Who Gon Stop Me

Good articleWho Gon Stop Me has been listed as one of the Music good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
December 13, 2025Good article nomineeListed

GA review

Passed. —LastJabberwocky (Rrarr) 13:01, 13 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

This review is transcluded from Talk:Who Gon Stop Me/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Nominator: Kyle Peake (talk · contribs) 15:04, 23 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Reviewer: LastJabberwocky (talk · contribs) 21:07, 3 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, nice to see you again! You reviewed one of my nominations (Ege Bamyasi). —LastJabberwocky (Rrarr) 21:07, 3 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]

LastJabberwocky I have fixed the reception section and edited the personnel to having recorded and mixed together, although kept the subheadings as this separates the recording location from the actual people. --K. Peake 12:36, 13 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I have no further suggestions. Thank you for your work, promoting! —LastJabberwocky (Rrarr) 13:00, 13 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • all green checkY
  • Both images are reasonably placed and have rationale. The single does seem to to have a poster. checkY
  • West compares the victims to struggles across American history to those lost during the Holocaust. ---> West compares the victims of struggles across American history to those lost during the Holocaust. Reason: The two 'to' felt confusing

Lead

  • (The Mercer) Hotel Can you explain the brackets?
  • Is Shawn Carter credited in the infobox a real name of Jay-Z? Should we just write Jay-Z for simplicity? Or add a note that it's Jay-Z, if it's not an overkill :).
  • Flux Pavilion believed the song differed from his sampled track "I Can't Stop", after Jay-Z and West added their own work. I don't think this one is necessary in the lead?

Background and conception

  • Jay-Z and West are both American rappers who have collaborated on several tracks together, such as the singles "Swagga Like Us" (2008), "Run This Town" (2009), and "Monster" (2010). In July 2011, Puerto Rican rapper Verse Simmonds said that he started working with his production partner Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph immediately on Watch the Throne after being recruited by Def Jam's artists and repertoire Vice President Bu Thiam. ---> Before the collaborating "Who Gon Stop Me", Jay-Z and West worked together on such singles as "Swagga Like Us" (2008), "Run This Town" (2009), and "Monster" (2010). Puerto Rican rapper Verse Simmonds, along with his production partner Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph, joined the Watch the Throne production immediately after being recruited by Def Jam's artists and repertoire Vice President Bu Thiam in July 2011.
  • "Who Gon Stop Me" "Who Gon Stop Me" can be removed; already mention that they work on this song
  • , and Simmonds sought dubstep material while maintaining a hip-hop feel. ---> and Simmonds specifically seeking dubstep material while maintaining a hip-hop feel
  • Simmonds and Joseph came up with the song's lyrical concept after they started its creation; the beat was crafted by the producer and the rapper wrote the chorus. He placed himself in the mindset of Jay-Z and West to pen the hook, apparently receiving comparisons to how the rappers sound when he recorded his reference track. ---> Simmonds and Joseph came up with the song's lyrical concept, placing himself in the mindset of Jay-Z and West to pen the hook and apparently being compared to the rapper duo when he recorded a reference track.
  • Simmonds and Joseph naturally found their chemistry in the studio as they bounced off of different sounds there, not feeling under pressure when creating. ----> Simmonds and Joseph found their chemistry in the studio where they did not feel under pressure brainstorming ideas in an atmosphere of "brotherly friendship".
  • The rapper contributed additional vocals to the song, along with Mr Hudson and Swizz Beatz. ---> Simmonds contributed additional vocals along with Mr Hudson and Swizz Beatz. Reason: For clarity
  • Simmonds, and English dubstep producer Flux Pavilion. ----> Simmonds, and English dubstep producer Flux Pavilion (the latter wrote the song "I Can't Stop", which is prominently sampled by "Who Gon Stop Me".
  • that he was not able to truly identify the feeling of being recognized outside of his genre, particularly by artists of Jay-Z and West's fame, after the song's sample of "I Can't Stop". Flux Pavilion saw the recognition as "absolutely magical" after he crafted the beat in his bedroom and questioned if the rappers were aware of this, feeling happiness about "I Can't Stop" as one of his favourite recordings despite doubting just how good it was. ----> that it was "absolutely magical" to be recognized outside of his genre, particularly by artists of Jay-Z and West's fame, and choosing it as one of his favourite recordings despite his lingering doubts about the song's quality.
  • The producer appreciated "Who Gon Stop Me" for differentiating from his recording and believed it would not be Jay-Z and West's track if they had only rapped over his beat, instead of adding their own work. ----> The producer appreciated "Who Gon Stop Me" for differentiating from his original recording and believed it would not be Jay-Z and West's track if they had rapped only over his beat.

Composition and lyrics

  • Musically, "Who Gon Stop Me" is an experimental track, combining dubstep and grime with rap music. The song relies on samples of Flux Pavilion's "I Can't Stop" in the production, incorporating the recording's drop during West's chorus and using its synths. ---> "Who Gon Stop Me" has been characterized as an experimental track that combines dubstep and grime with rap music. The song builds around a sample of Flux Pavilion's song "I Can't Stop", incorporating its beat drop into West's chorus and using its synths. Reason: changing from fact to opinion?; the same with the next one
  • West's voice is distorted into a growl while he mutters on the chorus and the song includes a heavy bassline, which cuts out for its beat switch. The beat switch features sirens and liquified synths during its coda, as Jay-Z raps for the last two minutes and takes brief pauses while speeding up his pace. ----> West takes up the first part of the track, rapping a chorus in a distorted tinny growl over a heavy bassline. During its coda, the song abandons the bass and switches to liquified synths, as Jay-Z raps for the last two minutes, taking brief pauses and gradually speeding up his pace. Note: not in love with my version but I think it's more clear and less wordy
  • In the lyrics of "Who Gon Stop Me", West expresses determination to live a highly extravagant lifestyle after having managed to inspire black youths looking for success. Couldn't find this one in the Spin article
  • On the hook, West compares the victims of the likes of inner-city violence, slavery, and poverty throughout American history to the Holocaust for the millions of people lost. ----> On the hook, West compares the victims of inner-city violence, slavery, and poverty throughout American history to the Holocaust victims; saying that in both cases "millions of people lost".
  • He also addresses haters and struggles from the past by rapping "Til I die/ I'mma fuckin ball". I realize the source doesn't dive into details, but I think we need to find another article on this; haters of his music, personality, haters in general, or all three?
    • Is there more on that point; feels scarce?
  • offers a "middle finger" to his former life ----> shows a "middle finger" to his former life

Release and reception

  • with general praise for West's vocals. ---> generally praising West's performance, but feeling underwhelmed by Jay-Z vocal delivery and rhymes.
  • Try to merge opinions by theme (e.g., opinions on vocals, on lyrics especially response to the Holocaust line, on dubstep production)
  • processed into a sinister, tinny growl This one is already present in the 'composition' section; more description than reception
  • without being released as a single. The debut marked the only track not released as a single from the album to chart on the Hot 100 and it was the result of download numbers alone ----> the only track from the album not released as a single to chart on the Hot 100, which resulted out of download numbers alone

Regarding the reception structuring, I think the current format is common and makes sense, but consider merging them. I give an example on dubstep opinions that are scattered throughout the section. See also Igor (album); i think it's a good example of my approach (that isn't necessarily better :)). Be aware of wp:synth.

  • Spin journalist Brandon Soderberg depicted the dubstep sample of "I Can't Stop" as giving "a tangible menace to this beat" through being repurposed "to score Kanye's provocative yelp" about violence and Jay-Z's lyrics about his troubled past then his present success, finding the latter to move between "two divergent paths" of legal and illegal.
  • For Pitchfork, Tom Breihan highlighted it for West swearing in Pig Latin and "turning dubstep-rap into a viable subgenre"
  • In a lukewarm review at Urb, James Shahan felt interested in the song's dubstep production
  • Providing a mixed review in RapReviews, Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania described it as "another diverting moment" on Watch the Throne for the influence of British music through dubstep
  • Julian Benbow from The Boston Globe criticized West over the dubstep sampling, which he saw as an example of what Jay-Z had "made a career steering clear of".

Critics, for the most part, felt that the dubstep sample enhances the track, elegantly creating a viable subgenre out of dubstep-rap and adding "a tangible menace". However, several publications did not like the stylistic divergence from the rest of the album and an example of what Jay-Z had "made a career steering clear of". And cite all five reviews listed above

Live performances and appearances in media

  • Throughout Jay-Z and West's Watch the Throne Tour that ran from 2011 until 2012, they performed the song. ---> The song was performed by Jay-Z and West throughout Watch the Throne Tour that ran from 2011 until 2012.
  • During the performance of the song for the tour's opening concert at Philips Arena in Atlanta on October 28, 2011, Jay-Z performed its later lyrics a capella after a technical issue with the music's timing. ---> During the opening concert at Philips Arena in Atlanta on October 28, 2011, Jay-Z finished its lyrics a capella due to technical issue with the music's timing.
  • For Jay-Z's set at BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend on June 23, 2012, he was joined by West to perform the song. Jay-Z and West performed it at the start of Samsung Galaxy's South by Southwest concert at the Austin Music Hall in Austin, Texas on March 12, 2014, accompanied by red lasers amidst smoke. The rappers were accompanied by a 12-foot video cube at the center of the stage as they appeared atop large metal boxes, which showed a video of a shark on their screens. ----> Jay-Z was joined by West to perform the song for Jay-Z's set at BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend on June 23, 2012, and at the start of Samsung Galaxy's South by Southwest concert at the Austin Music Hall in Austin, Texas on March 12, 2014. At the latter show, they appeared atop large metal boxes, which showed a video of a shark on their screens, accompanied by red lasers amidst smoke.
  • The song was used in Baz Luhrmann's film The Great Gatsby (2013) that is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name, appearing in a scene where Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway observes black people drinking Moët in a drop-top car while listening to Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (2001). ---> It was used in Baz Luhrmann's film The Great Gatsby (2013), appearing in the party scene in a Jazz Age Manhattan hotel room.

Personnel

  • 'Recorded at' and 'Mixed at' located in 'personnel' section can be merged as they have the same content

Something like this? Recorded and mixed at (The Mercer) Hotel (New York). Also consider removing subheaders?

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Who_Gon_Stop_Me