In late 2003, Kanye West performed an early version of “Gold Digger” for an audience at something called the 2nd Annual Dynamic Producer Conference. It was a few months before The College Dropout was released, and almost two years until it showed up on Late Registration, but the bare bones of the song are apparent, especially in the iconic first verse. Instead of the Ray Charles sample and Jamie Foxx, all Kanye has to go on here is some piano and a chorus from John Legend, but it still works in a charming sort of way, especially since we know what the song will eventually blossom into.
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