Through the Wire / Two Words

Famously recorded while the artist's jaw was wired shut following a near-fatal car accident, this debut single utilizes an iconic pitched-up sample of Chaka Khan's 'Through the Fire'. The track's triumphant, intensely personal narrative proved to label executives that the celebrated producer could succeed as a viable solo rapper. It effectively popularized the 'chipmunk soul' production style that would dominate mid-2000s hip-hop.