"Heard 'Em Say" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song features a guest appearance from Adam Levine. It was produced by West with Jon Brion, the former of which served as a songwriter alongside Levine, while Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin also received credit due to the sample of "Someone That I Used to Love". When West played Levine an early version of the song during a flight to Rome in 2004, the singer felt he had a chorus written that would work perfectly. West lacked certainty about collaborating with Levine before hearing him in rehearsal at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, after which the two recorded the song quickly with assistance from Brion. It marked the first song recorded for the album and originally, West sang the chorus.
Heard 'Em Say
West and Adam Levine developed a friendship sitting together on a flight to Rome. The rapper played an early version of "Heard 'Em Say" for Levine on his iPod.
Levine garnered acclaim from multiple commentators for his performance on the chorus.
The original music video was shot in live-action and filmed inside Herald Square Macy's, the company's flagship department store on 34th Street in New York City (NYC).
Late Registration is the second studio album by the American rapper and record producer Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions held at studios in Hollywood and New York City, in collaboration with Jon Brion. The album features guest appearances from Adam Levine, Jamie Foxx, Common, Brandy, Jay-Z, and Nas, among others.
Late Registration
Film score composer Jon Brion (shown in 2006) assisted with the album's production.
West played with an extensive orchestra on "Bring Me Down", "Gone", and "Celebration".
West spoke about the way he planned raps for Late Registration, specifying his aim for them to be understandable.
