Keri hilson knock you down instrumental male version

The Making of Keri Hilson's 'Knock You Down'

Keri Hilson's chart-topping hit 'Knock You Down' has become an anthem for heartbreak and resilience, but behind the scenes, its creation was anything but smooth sailing. The song features a memorable verse from none other than Kanye West, who at the eleventh hour breathed life into what could have been just another generic R&B offering.

In a rare interview with RatedRnB, Hilson opened up about the chaotic recording process that led to one of her most iconic songs. According to Hilson, West's contribution was indeed an last-minute affair - he laid down his bars in Canada on the same day 'Knock You Down' was being mixed for release.

'I remember Kanye coming through and just spitting like 60 bars or something,' Hilson recalled with a chuckle. 'And we're thinking, 'Okay cool, let's see what we got here.''

However, as often is the case when working with creative geniuses, less can sometimes be more. After listening back to West's initial take, producers realized that his verse was simply too long - and needed drastic editing.

'It was long as hell,' Hilson admitted dryly about the final cut of 'Knock You Down'. 'And there was a lot of drama because we had to shorten his verse.'

Despite these last-minute hiccups, however, the end result more than justified all the hard work put in by everyone involved. West's explosive delivery and biting rhymes perfectly complemented Hilson's soulful vocals, resulting in one of 2008's biggest crossover hits.

So next time you find yourself belting out 'Knock You Down' at full volume while driving home from a long day at the office (guilty as charged), take a moment to appreciate just how much blood, sweat and tears went into bringing this timeless anthem to life.

Keri hilson knock you down instrumental male version