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Impossible (Kanye West song)

"Impossible" is a song by American hip-hop recording artist Kanye West, featuring Twista, Keyshia Cole and BJ. The song was made for the film Mission: Impossible III and used as its official theme song, but was not featured on its soundtrack album.[1] It appeared on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts in 2006.

"Impossible"

"Impossible" (Instrumental) / "Drive Slow" (Strings Mix)

May 5, 2006

March 2006, Sony Scoring Stage, Culver City

3:23

Background[edit]

While the rest of the music for the film Mission: Impossible III was recorded over the course of eight days at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California.[2], 'Impossible' was originally an outtake from Twista's fourth album Kamikaze, which West found to be the perfect offering to be used in "Mission: Impossible III", when franchise star Tom Cruise asked for a contribution.[3]


Cruise was said to be delighted at West contributing to the soundtrack, describing himself as being "a fan of Kanye's work".[4]

Composition[edit]

Vocals from "It's Impossible" by New Birth are sampled throughout the track.[5] West claimed the track took "50 hours" to produce.[6]

Critical reception[edit]

"Impossible" was placed on a list of '20 Horrible Songs Made By Great Rappers' that Al Shipley of Complex published in 2013.[7] Jonathan Ringen of Rolling Stone rated the song two out of five stars and elaborated by writing: "It doesn't quite work: The skittering beat never settles into a groove, and the rhymes never explain what, exactly, is supposed to be so impossible."[8]

Commercial performance[edit]

The track spent a total of 16 weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and managed to reach its peak position of 54 on June 24, 2006, over a month after being released as a single.[12] It reached number 27 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart on May 27, 2006.[13]