7. “Good Night” feat. Mos Def (2007)
Kanye’s Jamaican Moment: “Good Night” samples and interpolates Super Cat’s “Nuff Man a Dead” and samples U-Roy’s “Wake the Town”
Among the collaborators who has to be credited with steering Kanye towards Jamaican music would have to be one Yasiin Bey. Back when we knew him as good old Mos Def, the rapper was paying homage to the likes of Beenie Man and KRS-One (channeling Yellowman), singing dancehall melodies in a West Indian twang, on “Travellin’ Man” and “Definition,” respectively. His assist on the chorus for “Good Night” nods to “Nuff Man A Dead,” another big tune from the Original Don Dada, Super Cat.
Included as a bonus cut on Kanye’s pivotal third studio album Graduation—a release that saw the reformed backpacker showcase his growth by pulling influences from Daft Punk and Steely Dan—”Good Night” was yet another showcase of the producer’s musical depth, pulling Super Cat’s aforementioned classic and U-Roy’s “Wake the Town” into an evocative hip-hop beat, with a subtle influence from ’80s dancehall.