30 Hours

Last updated
"30 Hours"
Promotional single by Kanye West
from the album The Life of Pablo
ReleasedFebruary 12, 2016
Recorded2015
Genre
Length5:23
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"30 Hours" is a song by American rap musician Kanye West, featuring backing vocals from Andre 3000, that lies on West's seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016). [1] The track was released as a promotional single from the album as part of West's GOOD Fridays program.

Contents

Composition and lyrics

"30 Hours" heavily samples the 1986 track "Answers Me" by Arthur Russell. [2] The song also includes a sample of drums from the 1973 single "Joy" by Isaac Hayes. [3]

The album version has an outro similar to that of "Last Call" from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). [4] By the time that all the changes had been made to The Life of Pablo in June 2016, the track had been crafted by West to sound like the original version. [5]

The song interpolates Nelly singles "E.I." and "Hot in Herre". [6]

Release

Prior to the release of the song, "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in LA" had already been released for streaming as part of the GOOD Fridays program. The track was released as a promotional single just like they were, so West made it solely available for free streaming on SoundCloud instead of sites like iTunes or Amazon Music where it had to be paid for. [7] "30 Hours" went on to be removed from SoundCloud, despite the two promotional singles "Facts" and "No More Parties in LA" still being available on the site. [8]

The Life of Pablo was scheduled to be titled "Waves" at one point and the track was set to be a part of Act 2 on one of the track lists for the album. [9] On the day that the song was released, West announced via Twitter that the featuring album was being mastered and set for release later on in the day, alongside promotion of the single – however, the release was delayed by two days due to Chance the Rapper fighting to keep the track "Waves" as part of it. [10] [11] Two days after The Life of Pablo's release, West tweeted out thanks to Drake for helping him write "30 Hours" along with "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" and also promised more music with both Drake and Future. [12]

Recording

Photography of background vocalist Andre 3000 in the studio alongside other rappers with West working on the album was posted on 2 Chainz's Instagram in January 2016. [13] When Andre was on his way to the studio in Los Angeles, he decided to bring a random Uber passenger with him. [14] Andre revealed that he was expecting to drop a guest verse on "30 Hours" and that others expected one from him, though the collaboration fell through. [15]

Critical reception

The song received praise by music critics. When reviewing The Life of Pablo for Rolling Stone , Rob Sheffield viewed "30 Hours" as "the most stunning track here". [16] Gavin Haynes of NME described West's sampling of "Answers Me" in the track as where "he pulls off the most masterful of these high-low art juxtapositions". [17]

Commercial performance

Upon the release of The Life of Pablo, the song debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and remained on it for a total of two weeks. [18]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from West's official website. [19]

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [20] 143
US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles ( Billboard ) [21] 6

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [22] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André 3000</span> American musician (born 1975)

André Lauren Benjamin, better known by his stage name André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is best known for being one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Outkast, which he formed in 1992 alongside fellow Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi. Benjamin is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

"Highlights" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West, from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). The song features vocals from Young Thug and The-Dream. One day before the album was released, West performed the song on Saturday Night Live with Young Thug, El DeBarge, Kelly Price and The-Dream. Within the track, West takes a shot at Ray J. The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. It was revealed in July 2016 that West had a shot a music video, but it was never released.

<i>The Life of Pablo</i> 2016 studio album by Kanye West

The Life of Pablo is the seventh studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 14, 2016, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. West and a variety of producers, including co-executive producers Rick Rubin and Noah Goldstein handled production. West enlisted guest vocals for the album from The-Dream, Kelly Price, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, Kid Cudi, Desiigner, Rihanna, Young Thug, Chris Brown, The Weeknd, Ty Dolla Sign, Vic Mensa, Sia, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, and Sampha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fade (Kanye West song)</span> 2016 single by Kanye West

"Fade" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). The song features vocals from Post Malone and Ty Dolla Sign. It was first played at West's Yeezy Season 2 show in September 2015, before later being released for digital download and streaming as the third and final single from the album on September 9, 2016, through GOOD Music and Def Jam. 11 days later, the aforementioned labels serviced the song to radio stations across the United States. A hip house song with club elements, it samples Mr. Fingers's "Mystery of Love", Rare Earth's and The Undisputed Truth's respective cover versions of "(I Know) I'm Losing You", Hardrive's "Deep Inside", and Barbara Tucker's "I Get Lifted ". The lyrics of the song focus on trying to hold on to a fading love.

"Facts" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released as a promotional single on New Year's Eve 2015, marking his first solo release since 2015's "All Day" – West released "Only One" on New Year's Eve the previous year, but that was released as an actual single and not a promotional one. The song was later released on West's seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016) as "Facts ". The song is a diss track aimed at footwear company Nike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No More Parties in LA</span> 2016 promotional single by Kanye West featuring Kendrick Lamar

"No More Parties in LA" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016), featuring vocals from fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was produced by West and Madlib, who began the recording in 2010. The beat was originally offered to Freddie Gibbs before being given to West and Lamar by Madlib. The song was released as the third promotional single from the album as part of West's GOOD Fridays series on January 18, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Friends (Kanye West song)</span> 2016 promotional single by Kanye West

"Real Friends" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring vocals from fellow singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was released as a promotional single from West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo, on January 8, 2016, The song includes West rapping about his trust issues around friends and family, with Whodini's song "Friends" being directly recalled.

"Father Stretch My Hands" are songs by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). They are split into two parts on the album: "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2". "Pt. 1" contains vocals by American rapper Kid Cudi and American R&B singer Kelly Price, while "Pt. 2" includes vocals from American rapper Desiigner and American musician Caroline Shaw. Prior to release, the latter was played by West for Desiigner when the two met.

"Waves" is a song by the American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). The song includes guest vocals from singer Chris Brown and fellow rapper Kid Cudi. It was the first beat conceived by West with Charlie Heat, which was set to be scrapped until a few weeks before release and Chance the Rapper persuaded West to keep the song on the album. An art pop number with gospel elements, the song samples Fantastic Freaks's "Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie" and features choral synths. It mostly features vocals from Brown, who sings about the symbolism of waves crashing at sea. The song received critical acclaim from music critics, who mostly praised Brown's appearance. Some highlighted the musicality, while a few critics picked it as a highlight of the album.

"FML" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016), which features vocals from Canadian singer The Weeknd. It contains a sample of "Hit" by Section 25, which two of the band members praised West for sampling. In the song, West references his issues with mental health. The song charted in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada in 2016.

"Freestyle 4" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West that features vocals from rapper Desiigner, which is from West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). It was remixed by Tyler, the Creator in March 2016.

"Feedback" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West from his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016). It includes a sample of "Talagh" by Googoosh and West raps about his career experiences. The song charted on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart at number 99 and 92 respectively in 2016.

"Ultralight Beam" is a song by American recording artist Kanye West from his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016). The song features vocals by R&B singers The-Dream and Kelly Price, rapper Chance the Rapper, gospel singer Kirk Franklin and a ten-piece choir, with additional vocals by Natalie Green and Samoria Green. It was first performed live on Saturday Night Live in February 2016.

"Saint Pablo" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring prominent vocals by British singer Sampha. It originally surfaced online on March 31, 2016 after it had been leaked onto Apple Music by mistake before being removed hours later. The song was later added to West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016) on June 14, 2016.

"Low Lights" is a song by American recording artist Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). It was produced by West, DJDS and Mike Dean, while the lyrics were written by West, Dean, Jerome Potter, Samuel Griesemer and Sandy Rivera. DJDS worked on the album for three consecutive weeks after meeting West, with the latter sharing a snippet of the song on Saturday Night Live the day before release in February 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lift Yourself</span> 2018 song by Kanye West

"Lift Yourself" is a song by American rapper Kanye West. West wrote the song alongside James Massie and Ben Winters, and produced it with additional production from Mike Dean. The song was debuted on April 27, 2018, through West's website and was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam three days later for digital download and streaming as a standalone single. As the first release of new music from West since his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016), it was perceived by numerous fans and publications to be him trolling them. The song samples Amnesty's "Liberty" and Dancer's "Boom Boom". Following a long build-up, West scats towards the end of the song, rapping nonsensical words.

"Yikes" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song includes echoing voices and a chilling bass in its composition, and was produced by West, while co-produced by Mike Dean, with additional production from Pi'erre Bourne and Apex Martin. The song was written by its producers along with eight additional songwriters, which included Aubrey Graham, known professionally as Drake, and as it samples work by Black Savage, songwriting credits were added for James Mbarack Achieng and Ayub Ogada.

"Fire" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their only studio album (2018). West, Kid Cudi, BoogzDaBeast, and André 3000 produced the song, while additional production was handled by Evan Mast. Written by the producers with the exception of BoogzDaBeast, it is a rock-influenced track that includes a sample of Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!". In the lyrics, Kids See Ghosts refuse to let haunting demons define them.

<i>Donda</i> 2021 studio album by Kanye West

Donda is the tenth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings—as his final release with both labels—on August 29, 2021. The album features a broad range of guest performances from artists, including the Weeknd, Jay-Z, Marilyn Manson, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, Baby Keem, Playboi Carti, Jay Electronica, Lil Baby, DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla Sign, Fivio Foreign, Lil Durk, Pop Smoke, The Lox, Shenseea, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Young Thug, among others; as well as vocals from Chris Brown were also included prior to the album being updated. The deluxe version of the album features guest vocals from André 3000, Tyler, the Creator, and KayCyy. West himself, as well as BoogzDaBeast, Dem Jointz, Mike Dean, and Ojivolta primarily helmed the album's production. West recorded much of the material at multiple locations in the summer of 2021, including Bighorn Mountain Ranch in Wyoming and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

"Life of the Party" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and André 3000. It was intended for West's tenth studio album Donda (2021), but was left off the album due to André 3000 not agreeing to his verse being edited to a clean version. The song was later leaked by Canadian rapper Drake on Sound 42 radio amidst a feud with West. It was initially released as an exclusive to the Donda Stem Player in October 2021. The song was released fully in November 2021 on the deluxe version of Donda, and an explicit version as a single. The song ends with audio of a clip of DMX and his daughter on an amusement park ride.

References

  1. ↑ Harvilla, Rob (February 19, 2016). "The Best Track on Kanye West's The Life of Pablo Is Also, Somehow, the Worst". The Concourse. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  2. ↑ Fraden, Angel E. (February 13, 2016). "Kanye West Samples Arthur Russell On "30 Hours"". IndieCurrent. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  3. ↑ Mertens, Max (February 22, 2016). "The A-Z Guide to Every Song Sampled on Kanye West's 'The Life Of Pablo'". VICE . Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ Guest, Chicagoist (February 25, 2016). "Thanks To His Mistakes, Kanye West Is As Relevant As Ever". Chicagoist . Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  5. ↑ C.M., Emmanuel (June 17, 2016). "Every Change Kanye West Made to 'The Life of Pablo'". XXL . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  6. ↑ Britton, Luke Morgan (February 17, 2016). "Drake, Nelly and Kanye West's children credited on 'The Life Of Pablo' album". NME . Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  7. ↑ Britton, Luke Morgan (February 12, 2016). "Kanye West streams new album track '30 Hours'". NME . Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Kanye West". Free Listening on SoundCloud . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ Diep, Eric (February 1, 2016). "Kanye West Debuts Several 'Waves' Tracklists". Billboard . Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ Kambouris, Dimitrios; Bacle, Ariana (February 12, 2016). "Kanye West: 30 Hours debuts on Twitter — GOOD Fridays are back". EW.com . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (February 13, 2016). "'Blame Chance': Kanye West Explains 'Life of Pablo' Album Delay". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  12. ↑ Torres, Eric (February 18, 2016). "Kanye Promises More Music With Drake and Future". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  13. ↑ Minsker, Evan (January 30, 2016). "Kanye West Works on Waves With André 3000, 2 Chainz, Kid Cudi, More". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  14. ↑ "PIC: Andre 3000 invited a random Uber passenger to Kanye West's studio session". JOE.ie . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  15. ↑ Watson, Elijah C. "Andre 3000 Discusses Failed Fashion Line, Appearing On Kanye West's 'Pablo' In New Interview". Okayplayer . Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  16. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (February 16, 2016). "The Life of Pablo". Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  17. ↑ Haynes, Gavin (February 19, 2016). "Kanye West – 'The Life of Pablo' Review". NME . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Kanye West – 30 Hours – Chart History". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  19. ↑ davidbaker.tv, builtbylane.com ×. "The Life of Pablo". The Life of Pablo – Kanye West. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  20. ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 9.04.2016 (wk14)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard . Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  22. ↑ "American single certifications – Kanye West – 30 Hours". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 27, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.