Kanye West Didn’t Write or Even Produce Estelle’s ‘American Boy,’ But He Did Struggle to Rap Over the Dance Beat

“American Boy” was one of the biggest songs of 2008. With a catchy chorus and a guest verse from Kanye West, Estelle’s hit song is still loved today. However, contrary to popular belief, West did not write or produce the tune. He even struggled to rap his verse on the song due to the dance beat. Here’s how the creation of “American Boy” unfolded.

‘American Boy’ was a huge chart hit and even earned a Grammy

In 2008, Estelle released her second studio album, Shine, which featured the lead single “American Boy.” The British singer and rapper, along with other big names like will.i.am and John Legend, wrote the song. Will.i.am also produced the track. 

The song hit No. 1 in the UK and peaked at No. 9 on America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. “American Boy” was nominated for two Grammys: Song of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, taking home the trophy in the latter category. 

The music video was equally huge, featuring appearances from Legend, LL Cool J, Danger Mouse, Consequence, Hi-Tek, and many others. It was nominated for Best UK Video at the 2008 MTV VMAs and ranked at 45 on BET’s Top 100 Videos of 2008. 

The inspiration behind Estelle’s ‘American Boy’

The song was inspired by Estelle’s time in the U.S. She was in Miami, working on songs for her upcoming album. 

“One day I went to the beach with my homegirl, and I was admiring all these Cuban men because I’d never seen anything like it,” she told Bustle. “They were all just so beautiful to me. So I was having a whole time with those guys, just talking and flirting, I didn’t care because I was going back to New York.”

She continued:

“The next day I’m in the studio and John [Legend] asks me, ‘What have you been doing? What have you been writing about?’ So I told him, ‘Looking at all these cute American boys.’ Then he looked at me and said, ‘Well, let’s write about that then.’ We literally started writing the song right at that moment, and I was discussing what I liked and what I didn’t like about American guys.”

The song quickly came together after that. Estelle listed off her likes and dislikes about men in the U.S., including the fact that she hated the baggy jeans guys were sporting in America at the time. 

Why Kanye West had trouble rapping his ‘American Boy’ verse

When deciding on an MC for the guest verse on the song, choosing West was a no-brainer. Estelle met the rapper in 2003, and the two were friendly. So it was no surprise West said yes to jumping on the song. However, he had a little trouble creating a rap for “American Boy.”

In an interview with Blues & Soul Magazine, Estelle shared, “Kanye basically just brought his own cheeky self to the track, his own sense of humor. At first he was like, ‘How can you rap over a dance beat?’ — and now he’s done it!” 

Rhythm isn’t the only thing West struggled with. Some point out that the lyrics of his rap verse don’t have anything to do with Estelle’s ode to American guys. Instead, West raps about “touch[ing] down in London town” and spending time in the UK.