| "Can't Tell Me Nothing" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Kanye West | ||||
| from the album Graduation | ||||
| B-side | "Barry Bonds" | |||
| Released | May 15, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:31 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Kanye West singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Can't Tell Me Nothing" on YouTube | ||||
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song contains additional vocals from Young Jeezy and Connie Mitchell. It was produced by West with DJ Toomp with West being responsible for 60 percent of the production. The song originated from Young Jeezy's "I Got Money", after West made changes to the track. On May 15, 2007, the song premiered via Hot 97 and was released by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam that same day as the lead single from the album. A hip hop track, it was described by West as a theme song for the people. The lyrics see West reflecting on his fame while he expresses different types of feelings.
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" received universal acclaim from music critics, who mostly appreciated the lyrical content. Others praised the production, while some critics highlighted the song's inclusion on Graduation. It was listed amongst the best tracks of 2007 by several publications, including Consequence of Sound and Pitchfork. The song received a nomination for Best Rap Song at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, ultimately losing to "Good Life". The former reached number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, alongside peaking at number 20 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and was certified triple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America. It has also been certified platinum and gold in the United Kingdom and Australia by the British Phonographic Industry and Australian Recording Industry Association, respectively.
An accompanying music video was released on May 25, 2007. It sees West walking around El Mirage Lake unaccompanied, while his silhouette follows him. The video received positive reviews from critics, who have often complimented its camerawork. The song's alternate music video was released on July 25, 2007, which features Zach Galifianakis and Will Oldham lip-syncing "Can't Tell Me Nothing" at Galifianakis's farm. West performed the song live throughout 2007 and 2008, including at a Live Earth concert in the former year. He later performed it at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Glastonbury Festival in 2011 and 2015, respectively.
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" was used in the film The Hangover (2009), marking the first of three times that West's music would be featured in the films from the series of the same name. In 2013, West named it his favourite song out of his entire discography. Francis and the Lights covered the song in 2009, and an acoustic cover version was later performed by Taking Back Sunday in 2011. The song's Young Jeezy-featuring remix was released in July 2007, which contains a verse from him.