Chaka Khan “Upset About Sounding Like a Chipmunk” on Kanye’s Track

By Polly Rosie -

Music collaborations aren’t always successful, and often an artist feels unhappy with the final result, be it a song or an album. That’s the case with Chaka Khan, who was featured in Kanye West’s track, “Through the Wire.”

Chaka Khan Is Still Upset

The “Ain’t Nobody” singer recently opened up about something that’s been weighing on her for nearly two decades. She revealed that she still felt disappointed over how Kanye West sampled her 1985 song, “Through the Fire,” for his 2003 debut single of a similar name, “Through the Wire.”

The problem with the track was that Kanye never revealed that he was planning on speeding up the sample when she gave her official permission for him to use it. When she sat down with Marissa Mitchell on Good Day DC, Chaka Khan said she’s still “upset about sounding like a chipmunk.”

Kanye Didn’t Warn Her He’ll Speed Up the Sample

The source of Khan’s disappointment is that Kanye decided to speed up the sample “three times its normal speed,” which resulted in her sounding rather comical — something she was definitely not okay with. She blames Kanye West for not communicating his intentions about how he wanted to use the sample because if she had known, she might not have given him permission.

When asked if Kanye ever reached out to her to discuss the track or the sample after he released “Through the Wire,” Chaka Khan offered a candid answer. The two of them haven’t spoken, and she’s not exactly “looking to hear” from him at all. After all, she said, it all happened “a long time ago.”

Despite Khan being upset about the song, it went on to be a great success. “Through the Wire” was certified Platinum in the United States and Gold in the United Kingdom and was even nominated for a 2005 Grammy Award, but Kanye lost to Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.”