David Foster recently revealed that Kanye West does not earn publishing royalties from “Through the Wire,” the breakthrough record that helped launch Ye’s career.
Speaking on the And The Writer Is podcast, the Grammy-winning songwriter explained that the song heavily sampled Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire,” which he co-wrote.
“You have the sample that defines [Ye’s] career,” Foster said. “‘Through the Wire’ is presumably the biggest sample of your catalog.”
The track, released in 2002, would go on to become one of the most important moments in Kanye West’s early catalog. West recorded the song after surviving a near-fatal car accident that left his jaw wired shut. He famously delivered the verses while recovering from surgery, turning the record into a story of resilience and determination.
“Through the Wire” quickly gained attention and helped build momentum for West’s debut album The College Dropout, which arrived in 2004. The single also found chart success, reaching No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbing to No. 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
According to Foster, West attempted to secure a share of the publishing because he wrote the rap verses. But the decision required agreement from all of the song’s writers, including Tom Keane and the late Cynthia Weil.
“I would’ve given it to him, would’ve given him half,” Foster said, recalling the discussions around the sample clearance.
But Weil disagreed. “Cynthia was like, ‘F*** that. No, he gets nothing,’” Foster remembered. “So he got nothing. We still remain the 100 percent writers. Ain’t that something?”
That decision meant the original writers retained full publishing ownership of the composition.
Foster’s comments refer specifically to publishing royalties. That does not necessarily mean West earned nothing from the record overall. Artists and producers often receive income through separate royalty streams tied to performance, recording, and production credits.
Even so, the story highlights how one of the most defining songs in West’s career is built on a composition he does not share ownership of.
Why Kanye Wouldn’t Receive Publishing From the Song
Sampling deals often separate creative contribution from ownership of the underlying composition.
When an artist samples an existing record, the original songwriters typically retain control of the publishing unless they agree to share it. Because “Through the Wire” relies heavily on the melody and structure of Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire,” the writers of the original composition had the leverage during negotiations.
In many sample clearances, the original writers request a majority share of the publishing. In some cases, they retain the entire composition credit.
That appears to be what happened here. Even though Kanye West wrote the rap verses and created a new recording around the sample, the publishing rights remained fully with the writers of the original song.
Publishing vs. Artist Royalties
Publishing is only one revenue stream in music.
Even if West did not receive publishing income from “Through the Wire,” he could still earn money through artist royalties tied to the master recording, as well as producer royalties depending on the terms of his deal at the time.
Publishing governs ownership of the song itself. Artist royalties are tied to the recording.
In other words, the song that helped introduce Kanye West to the world may not generate songwriting income for him, but it still played a massive role in launching the career that followed.
