"American Boy" is a single by British singer Estelle featuring American rapper Kanye West, credited as Ye. It was written by Estelle, John Legend, Keith Harris and Kanye West, with Ethan Hendrickson, will.i.am, Josh Lopez and Caleb Speir, and produced by will.i.am, who reused the instrumental of his own song "Impatient" from Songs About Girls (2007). The sampling led to the credits of Lopez, Speir and Harris. Atlantic Records released it on 24 March 2008 as the second single from Estelle's second album, Shine (2008). Set to a breezy R&B and disco-funk track at 118 bpm, it became her breakout hit in the United States, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and her most successful single worldwide. It debuted at number 72 in the UK before reaching number one there for four weeks, and it also topped the charts in Flanders and Slovakia. Its honours include a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (2009), a nomination for Song of the Year, and a MOBO Award for Best Song 2008. Rolling Stone ranked it seventh among its 100 Best Songs of 2008.
