"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" | ||||
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Single by Beastie Boys featuring Santigold | ||||
from the album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two | ||||
Released | July 26, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2008–09 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:11 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Beastie Boys | |||
Beastie Boys singles chronology | ||||
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Santigold singles chronology | ||||
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"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" is a song by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, from their eighth studio album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two . Featuring American singer Santigold, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album on July 26, 2011. "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was written and produced by group members Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, with additional writing by Santigold.
"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was the last Beastie Boys single released before the death of Adam Yauch.
"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Santigold's guest appearance and its reggae feel. Dave Simpson of The Guardian wrote: "Santigold gives 'Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win' some instantly infectious pop reggae sunshine." [1] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly praised the song, calling it "a perfect reggae-kissed summer jam". [2] Matt Diehl of the Los Angeles Times called Santigold's guest appearance memorable, and wrote that she added to the track "Brooklyn dancehall fire and a welcome feminine contrast to the b-boy stances." [3] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork Media wrote that the pairing between the Beastie Boys and Santigold on the track "feels natural and obvious", adding that one "could argue that the Beastie Boys' polyglot approach in the 90s helped clear the way for her style, which mixes an ear for the sound of other cultures with a touch of Lower East Side artiness." [4]
The music video for "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was directed by the group's longtime collaborator Spike Jonze. [5] In the video, the Beastie Boys, along with Santigold, are portrayed in action figure form. [6] In the music video, the Beastie Boys play a concert that is attacked by enemy soldiers. [7] After the Beastie Boys battle with the soldiers, Nazi Zombies reanimate from the snow to attack the Beastie Boys. [7] A yeti comes to their aid and kills the Nazi Zombies. [7] The yeti then helps the Beastie Boys escape in a helicopter. [7] More enemy soldiers with jet packs, shoot down the helicopter. [7] The Beastie Boys parachute into shark infested waters, where they are rescued by submarine. [7] A boat full of enemy soldiers attack the submarine with depth charges. [7] The Beastie Boys manage to sink the boat full of enemy soldiers, and then go water skiing. [7]
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
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US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [8] | 80 |
Beastie Boys were an American hip hop/rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1981. The group was composed of Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Michael "Mike D" Diamond. Beastie Boys were formed out of members of experimental hardcore punk band The Young Aborigines, which was formed in 1979, with Diamond on drums, Jeremy Shatan on bass guitar, John Berry on guitar, and Kate Schellenbach later joining on percussion. When Shatan left New York City in mid-1981, Yauch replaced him on bass and the resulting band was named Beastie Boys. Berry left shortly thereafter and was replaced by Horovitz.
Michael Louis Diamond, better known as Mike D, is an American rapper, musician, and music producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys.
Adam Nathaniel Yauch, also known by the stage name MCA, was an American rapper, bassist, filmmaker and a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys. Besides his musical work, he also directed many of the band's music videos and did much of their promotional photography, often using the pseudonym Nathanial Hörnblowér for such work.
Adam Keefe Horovitz, popularly known as Ad-Rock, is an American rapper, guitarist, and actor. He was a member of the hip-hop group Beastie Boys. While Beastie Boys were active, Horovitz performed with a side project, BS 2000. After the group disbanded in 2012 following the death of member Adam Yauch, Horovitz has participated in a number of Beastie Boys-related projects, worked as a remixer, producer, and guest musician for other artists, and has acted in a number of films.
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Santi White, known professionally as Santigold, is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, Santogold (2008), received widespread critical acclaim for its cross-genre combining dub, new wave, and hip-hop. The album's second single "L.E.S. Artistes", reached the top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.
American musician Santi White, better known by her stage name Santigold, has released four studio albums, two mixtapes, one extended play (EP), and twenty-two singles. White's discography under the name Santogold consists of her eponymous debut album, six singles, one mixtape, and four music videos, all of which were released in 2008, except the single "Creator", which was released in late 2007. Santogold peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200, and reached numbers 2 and 6 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums and Independent Albums, respectively. The album also charted in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
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