Kick, Push

"Kick, Push" is the first single released from Lupe Fiasco's debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. It was written by Lupe Fiasco and Soundtrakk, who also produced the song. It describes a love story between a male and a female misfit skateboarders. It has been referred to as "a needle in hip hop's haystack of complacent songs."^[1]

"Kick, Push"
Single by Lupe Fiasco
from the album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Released	April 18, 2006
Recorded	2005
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:15
Label	1st & 15th Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Wasalu Jaco Rudolph Lopez
Producer(s)	Soundtrakk
Lupe Fiasco singles chronology
"Touch the Sky" (2006) "Kick, Push" (2006) "I Gotcha" (2006)
Alternative cover
Music video
"Kick, Push" on YouTube

Lupe Fiasco has clarified, "...I'm not a skater and I don't want to keep putting on the faces of people who've been skating for 20 years and actually lived out "Kick, Push".^[2]

The song's backing track is built around a sample of the instrumental intro of the 1982 song "Bolero Medley" by Filipina singer Celeste Legaspi.

The song appears in video games NBA Live 07, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, MLB The Show 25 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. Lupe performed this song (among others) live in 2025 as part of the latter game's first-ever THPS Fest in Los Angeles.

Awards and accolades

"Kick, Push" was nominated for Grammy Awards in 2007 for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song. It lost the first to T.I.'s "What You Know", and the second to Ludacris' "Money Maker". It was listed at #15 on Pitchfork Media's "The Top 100 Tracks of 2006" list^[3] and was also voted #72 on About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.^[4]

Remixes and freestyles

The official remix of the song features Pharrell, it was included the CD single of his 3rd single, "Daydreamin'".

Drake made his own remix of the song and featured it on his 2006 mixtape Room for Improvement.

Chamillionaire also released a freestyle titled The Greatest on his Mixtape Messiah 4.

Young Buck did a short Remix of the Song on the mixtape RBK Artist Spotlight Vol. 1.

Bassnectar has also released a remix of this song.

Track listing

• CD: 1

1. "Kick, Push"
2. "Tilted" (non-album track)

• CD: 2

1. "Kick, Push"
2. "Spazz Out" (non-album track)
3. "Kick, Push" (MyTone ringtone)
4. "Kick, Push" (Video)

• 12" Vinyl

1. "Kick, Push" (album version)
2. "Kick, Push" (instrumental)
3. "Kick, Push" (a cappella)
4. "Titled" (non-album track)

Charts

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[5]	66
Australian Urban (ARIA)[6]	16
Scotland (OCC)[7]	32
UK Singles (OCC)[8]	27
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[9]	5
US Billboard Hot 100[10]	78
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11]	56

Certifications

Certification for "Kick, Push"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[12]	Gold	15,000‡
United States (RIAA)[13]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.