"Ghost Town" | |
---|---|
Song by Kanye West | |
from the album Ye | |
Released | June 1, 2018 |
Recorded | October 31, 2017 – June 1, 2018 |
Studio | West Lake Ranch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming |
Genre | Experimental hip hop |
Length | 4:31 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
|
"Ghost Town" is a song and a masterpiece by American rapper Kanye West from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song features vocals from PartyNextDoor, Kid Cudi, and 070 Shake. It was produced by West, co-produced by Mike Dean, and features additional production from Francis and the Lights, Benny Blanco, and Noah Goldstein. The song is a hip-hop track that features psychedelic elements. It is composed around a sample of "Take Me for a Little While", performed by the Royal Jesters, and also includes a sample of "Someday", performed by Shirley Ann Lee.
The mind of West is demonstrated as going through the unraveling process within "Ghost Town", which is connected to mental illness, and West's verse features him gargling unfinished thoughts. The song received universal acclaim from music critics and was mostly named by them as one of the album's highlights, with general praise from critics going towards 070 Shake's outro. A number of them complimented the lush composition of the song, though some critics expressed somewhat mixed opinions of West's verse. The song was included in end-of-year lists for 2018 by multiple publications, including Consequence and NME .
"Ghost Town" reached number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2018, while peaking at numbers 14 and 17 on the NZ Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart, respectively. The song has since been certified double platinum and gold in the United States and the United Kingdom by the Recording Industry Association of America and the British Phonographic Industry, respectively. West and Kid Cudi have delivered multiple joint performances of the song, including performing it on Saturday Night Live and at the Coachella Music Festival in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The song was covered by both BadBadNotGood and Jungle in 2018. A sequel to the song was released by West and Kid Cudi, as Kids See Ghosts, under the title "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" on their eponymous debut studio album (2018). The sequel features an interpolation of lyrics from the song.
A link was shared by West via his blog on February 7, 2009, to a cover version of his 2007 single "Can't Tell Me Nothing" by American pop project Francis and the Lights. [1] They first collaborated on the latter's single "Friends" in 2016 alongside Bon Iver, and West has a cameo in the accompanying music video. [1] [2] Along with "Ghost Town", Francis and the Lights contributed production to the tracks "I Thought About Killing You" and "All Mine". [3] He handled additional production for the former of the three, alongside Benny Blanco and Noah Goldstein, while Mike Dean co-produced it and West served as the lead producer. [3]
In a November 2016 interview with NOW Magazine , Canadian musician PartyNextDoor cited West as someone he wanted to produce and write at the level of, while also stating that he was influenced by West when he was younger. [4] Following the release of his third EP Colours 2 in June 2017, PartyNextDoor tweeted on July 20 of that year that he had new music on the way with West, and Apple Music simultaneously responded via Twitter. [5] At the time, it was unknown what project the two were recording for, and PartyNextDoor had only previously contributed to West's work by co-writing "Waves" in 2016. [6] [7] PartyNextDoor later tweeted a picture of the two of them talking on July 22, 2017, the first photographic evidence of their collaboration. [5] Alongside "Ghost Town", PartyNextDoor provided vocals and songwriting for Ye's track "Wouldn't Leave", though he wasn't properly credited until the album's credits were updated on streaming services on June 15, 2018. [8]
Initially an unknown SoundCloud user, American hip-hop artist 070 Shake refused to sign with anyone other than West. [9] 070 Shake ultimately signed to his record label GOOD Music in 2016 and recalled West advising her "to ultimately be 100 percent open when you're creating and let your mind wander," as well as to not "set any boundaries for yourself." [9] The song and fellow album track "Violent Crimes" both include vocals from 070 Shake. [3] In an interview with Rolling Stone , she stated that after the song, a lot of people were contacting her by phone and recalled being "like, 'How did you get my number?' and shit." [10] When listening to the song for the first time, 070 Shake labeled the feeling "surreal" and said she placed focus on taking the whole moment in so she would not have regretted failing to take it in properly after the time, while 070 Shake opined that being on a record with West felt "crazy". [10]
A promotional video was displayed on West's official website from the Ye listening party that was set to "Ghost Town" and "I Thought About Killing You", though the website was ultimately updated on October 22, 2019. [11] [12] West assembled the listening party on the night before the album's release in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which is the same place that it was recorded by him. [13] [14] Kevin Parker of Tame Impala initially believed that he was credited as a co-writer on the song instead of "Violent Crimes", until he was informed that the latter was played at the listening party. [15] Parker had allegedly sent a number of samples to West for Ye, but assumed that they hadn't made the cut after not hearing back from him. [16] West began to come to Jackson Hole often from early 2017 onwards, months after his stay in the hospital. [17] After he left the hospital, notes were made by West about his experiences and feelings. [17] As part of the album's songwriting process, West gave his notes to various writers for them to help add structure to his thoughts. [17] When discussing his songwriting process during an interview with The New York Times on June 25, 2018, West revealed that co-writer Malik Yusef was responsible for the lyrics "Sometimes I take all the shine/Talk like I drank all the wine." [17] Before combining rap with rock, West and Kid Cudi had shown admiration for rock artists. [18]
Musically, "Ghost Town" is a hip-hop track that is often noted for its rock elements. [19] [22] [23] [24] The song includes a sample of "Take Me for a Little While", written by Trade Martin and performed by the Royal Jesters, within its leading bass, drum, and keys combination. [20] [25] [26] The opening of the track features a sample of "Someday", as performed by Shirley Ann Lee. [27] Guitars are included within the song, which some writers viewed as psychedelic. [19] [24] [28] [29] In particular, "Ghost Town" has been noted for taking rock influence from Kid Cudi's work, with a "strong presence of guitars" that Will Lavin of Joe.co.uk called "very reminiscent of a couple of tracks" from his second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). [19] The Atlantic 's Spencer Kornhaber commented that the song features "psychedelic, space-soul, and prog sounds." [18] West's tone is dazed, with him using the same verse melody as that of his Pusha T-featuring single "Runaway" (2010). [21] In the outro, laser sounds are featured. [26]
The song presents the mind of West going through the process of unraveling, with the ongoing speculation that his mental health is often poor. [30] Mental illness is a common theme on Ye; the song is linked to the subject matter of the album that West's mind is unraveling. [30] PartyNextDoor sings about feeling so good that it is dangerous. [18] West's verse in the song sees him gargling multiple half-finished thoughts as he opens up his mind. [21] [31] The lyrics of West's verse include a reference to the opioid painkiller fentanyl. [32] While singing the chorus of "Ghost Town", Kid Cudi interpolates vocals from rock and roll artist Dave Edmunds' 1979 version of "Take Me for a Little While". [20] The outro is performed by 070 Shake, featuring her singing about freedom and numbness in a manner that has been described as belting. [10] [18] [21] [28] 070 Shake explained that she used a metaphor for numbness with the line, "Put my hand on the stove, to see if I still bleed." [10]
"Ghost Town" was released on June 1, 2018, as the sixth and penultimate track on West's eighth studio album, Ye. [33] However, West tweeted out an early track list of the eponymous debut studio album by Kids See Ghosts, a hip-hop duo consisting of him and Kid Cudi, on May 15 of that year, and this showed the song as originally being scheduled for release on the album. [34] [27] It was slated to be released as the fourth track, though the shuffling of tracks between albums recorded by West led to the song being released on Ye instead. [34] [27] The song's follow-up was released by Kids See Ghosts under the title "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" on June 8, 2018, also being led to by the shuffling. [18] [27]
In an interview with Pigeons & Planes , 070 Shake revealed that the song was finished hours before the album's listening party on May 31, 2018, and recalled reference tracks being recorded: "I had done a reference for it, and then I guess he forgot about it. We put that reference on another song, then Kanye did his own reference for that 'free' concept." She explained in the interview that it came close to not making the album's final cut during the recording sessions: "At the end, we were talking and asking, 'Is this the one right here?' And I kind of mentioned 'Ghost Town' and said maybe we could use something from that." [35] 070 Shake elaborated, revealing that after listening to the reference again, West "said, 'Oh yeah, this is the one.'" She concluded, stating, "So 'Ghost Town' almost didn't make it." [35] According to 070 Shake, she wrote the reference track after first arriving in Wyoming, and West had forgotten about it due to him being "very focused on a lot of other things, other songs and stuff [ sic ], and it just left his mind a little bit." [10] Recording for Ye started after West made controversial comments about slavery in a TMZ interview earlier in May 2018 that led to the album being re-done afterward. [36]
"Ghost Town" was met with acclaim from music critics, often being ranked as one of the album's highlights. Meaghan Garvey of Pitchfork pointed to the track as "ye's clear highlight," while she regarded the outro by 070 Shake and Kid Cudi's refrain as being better than West's verse, especially noting that 070 Shake's "performance is unexpectedly magnetic." [21] Carrie Battan from The New Yorker named the track as the best song, pointing out its elements of soul and pop punk, though she viewed the track as "the finest example of hip-hop's current fascination with rock music" and praised the outro by 070 Shake for showing that her "androgynous, pubescent voice is used to create a bridge between the joyous and the morbid." [22] Outside of "I Thought About Killing You" and "Yikes", The Independent 's Christopher Hooton billed the track as the album's "only other remotely good song." [37] Hooton continued, viewing it as being salvaged by 070 Shake "with a stunning, anthemic and sincere vocal over a crunchy guitar riff." [37] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone complemented the song for being the only track on Ye that "stands on its own" and also directed praise towards 070 Shake's vocals, though concluded by writing that the song has "genuine heart – enough heart to make you wish Kanye could find a way out of his current creative trap." [23] Douglas Greenwood from NME described the song as the album's "penultimate and perhaps strongest track" and argued that it "owes a great deal to its euphoric, rocky outro" from 070 Shake, with him viewing the outro as "a moment of real clarity on a record that's immediately impactful." [38] Writing for Entertainment Weekly , Alex Suskind highlighted the song as one of Ye's "few bright spots," commenting that it "resembles My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy opus 'Runaway'" and Suskind directed praise towards the lyrical content. [39] Adam Rothbarth of Tiny Mix Tapes commented with praise for Kid Cudi's "purposely gnarly" refrain, West's "elegant vocal performance" and the production of the song. [40] However, Rothbarth opined that the production "sets the perfect foundation for 070 Shake's cyclical" outro and cited the outro as one of the highlights of Ye. [40]
Clayton Purdom from The A.V. Club stated that "Ghost Town" "holds up the entire album" and labeled the song as "a staggeringly dense sound collage that sounds like a wide-open Wyoming night sky coming alive with dreamy laser blasts." [41] The Irish Times ' Ed Power referred to the song as "gorgeous and uncomplicated." [42] Trent Clark from HipHopDX pointed towards the "passionate cameo" from 070 Shake on the song as what "unveils a star-in-the-making." [43] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said that it shows "West telegraphing his vulnerability through shaky singing," despite concluding that 070 Shake "walks away with the song." [44] AllMusic writer Neil Z. Yeung asserted that the song shines as one of the album's "moments of clarity" and commended the lyrical content. [33] For the Los Angeles Times , Mikael Wood viewed West and 070 Shake's singing as "just astounding" and cited the latter's outro as "a star-making cameo," while also noting the clarity displayed by 070 Shake. [45] Zachary Hoskins was less enthusiastic in Slant Magazine , dismissing West's verse despite naming the song as the most polished track on Ye and positively writing of the guitar, as well as Kid Cudi's vocals. [24] In a negative review for The Line of Best Fit , Ross Horton panned the singing on the song and called it "the kind of thing that you once could, objectively, understand to be joke," with the loudness of the vocals receiving criticism from him. [46] Similarly, Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews complained that having to listen to West's singing on the song makes him "just like 'Whyyyyyyy?'" [47] Juon insisted that his opinion of West lacking in singing ability bore no relevance to any dislike towards him, as Juon admitted that Chris Brown can sing despite not liking him either. [47]
Vulture named "Ghost Town" as one of the best new songs for the week of June 7, 2018. [48] Hunter Harris of the site labeled the track as "a mediocre album's best offering," though directed praise towards 070 Shake's outro. [48] It was listed as one of the best songs from the first half of the year by Junkee, with Lauren Ziegler calling the track "a therapy session." [49] Refinery29 named it to their list of 2018's best summer songs, published in June of that year. [50] On uDiscoverMusic's November 2019 list of the West's best samples, the Royal Jesters sample on the track was ranked 20th. [51] For the website, Paul Bowler wrote that the sample is where West "returns to the soulful grooves with which he made his name" and viewed it as "powering" West's performance on "Ghost Town". [51]
The track appeared on year-end lists by multiple publications, including being listed as the fifth-best song of 2018 by Consequence . [52] Matt Melis of the publication complimented it as the "very best" of West's 2018, and Melis described the track as being "backed by a killer, old-school sample; surrounded by friends; and delivering a liberating, back-to-basics message." [52] Joe ranked "Ghost Town" at the same position on their list, with Dave Hanratty calling it "an exceptional song that hit the heavens with power and grace." [53] The track was named by The Daily Beast as the seventh-best song of 2018, and Marlow Stern called it West's most impressive work from that year, while he praised 070 Shake's outro, which accordingly "soars to the stratosphere." [54]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | The 100 Best Songs of 2018 | 62 | |
The Best Songs of Kanye West's Wyoming Sessions [a] | 14 | ||
Consequence | Top 50 Songs of 2018 | 5 | |
The Daily Beast | The 20 Best Songs of 2018 | 7 | |
Highsnobiety | The 50 Best Songs of 2018 | 37 | |
Joe | The 20 Best Songs of 2018 | 5 | |
NME | The Songs of the Year 2018 | 36 | |
NPR | The 100 Best Songs of 2018 | 56 | |
Triple J | Hottest 100 of 2018 | 98 | |
The Village Voice | The Pazz & Jop Music Critics Poll 2018 | 42 |
Following the release of Ye, "Ghost Town" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 16, standing as the highest charting non-single from the album. [61] The song entered the US Streaming Songs chart at number eight, with 29.7 million streams. [62] On the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it opened at number 11. [63] By debuting at number two on the US Hot R&B Songs chart, the song stood as the only track from the album to enter the charts. [64] The next week, following the release of Kids See Ghosts, the song descended 44 places to number 60 on the Hot 100, though it was two places higher on the chart than "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)". [65] [66] For 2018, "Ghost Town" ranked at number 42 on the year-end US Hot R&B Songs chart. [67] The song was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for amassing 2,000,000 certified units in the United States on July 6, 2022. [68]
The track performed best in New Zealand, peaking at number 14 on the NZ Singles Chart. [69] Similarly, the track debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 17, giving West his third top 40 entry on the chart issue that fell on the date of his 41st birthday. [70] On January 26, 2024, "Ghost Town" received a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for pushing 200,000 units in the United Kingdom. [71] The track reached number 21 on the Canadian Hot 100. [72] On the ARIA Singles Chart, it debuted at number 22 and came close to giving West his third top 20 entry for that week. [73] The track also reached the top 30 in Slovakia, Greece, Ireland, and Portugal. [74] [75] [76] [77] In Estonia, the song entered at number 37 on the Singlid tipp-40. [78] The following week, it rose five places to number 32 on the chart. [79] The track experienced lesser performance in the Czech Republic, reaching number 42 on the country's Singles Digitál Top 100 chart. [80]
070 Shake performed solely her part on the song live on June 22, 2018 for her set at Ladyland Fest in Brooklyn. [81] The performance generated a positive reaction from the crowd, and they were able to recall the words to 070 Shake's part, though it marked the first time that any portion of the song had been performed live. [81] On August 16, 2018, West and Kid Cudi delivered a performance of a rendition of it live at a surprise show in the Los Angeles nightclub Los Candiles as part of a private party in celebration of West's Yeezy Season 4 collaborator Willo Perron. [82] [83] A small room was covered in red lights for the performance, and the crowd joined in when the rappers shouted lyrics from the song, while this marked the first time that West had performed it live. [82] [83] The track was performed live by West, Kid Cudi, and 070 Shake on the outro of the 44th season premiere of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in September 2018, with them being accompanied by a backing band. [84] [85] However, the performance was cut off around the time that 070 Shake began to deliver her part of it, and the song was followed by a speech from the West about his support of US President Donald Trump. [84] [85] Prior to West's appearance, SNL creator Lorne Michaels revealed in an interview on the Origins With James Andrew Miller podcast that West was booked for the show when he stepped up after singer Ariana Grande dropped out. [86] For West and Kid Cudi's first performance, billed as Kids See Ghosts, the duo performed the song live as the closer to their set at the 2018 Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. [87]
West was joined by Kid Cudi and 070 Shake when leading his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir through a rendition of "Ghost Town" at their first concert on January 7, 2019. [88] Later that month, the group collaborated with West for a rendition of the song as part of their concert. [89] The performance began once West got up off a stool 36 minutes into the concert, with the rendition including an extended outro that saw him deliver a sermon. [89] During the sermon, West said, "Don't it feel to know you can never be canceled. They say, 'You can't do this. You can't do that, you'll lose your career,' but I'm still here." [89] On March 24, 2019, the Sunday Service Choir performed the song in Los Angeles for their 12th weekly concert. [90] [91] Kid Cudi brought out West as a surprise during the start of his weekend two set at the 2019 Coachella Music Festival, where the two performed a rendition of "Ghost Town". [92]
Following the release of Ye, the song became a popular topic with fans of West across Twitter. [31] Avenged Sevenfold member M. Shadows' published a list of his favorite tracks from 2018, which included "Ghost Town" on it. [93] At a fashion show by Virgil Abloh during 2018 Paris Fashion Week, Canadian instrumental music group BadBadNotGood performed a cover version of the song. [94] During the show, West and Kid Cudi were both in attendance. [94] The laser sounds from the song resurfaced on singer Teyana Taylor's track "Issues/Hold On", which was produced by West and released on K.T.S.E. in June 2018. [26] [95] The song was covered by English soul musical collective Jungle on September 12, 2018, during a BBC Radio 1 session. [96]
On June 8, 2018, the sequel to "Ghost Town", "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)", was released as the fourth track on Kids See Ghosts. [18] [97] Originally, the prequel was slated for release in this position, while the sequel had not been slated for inclusion initially. [34] Prior to the album's release, Revolt TV writer Ralph Bristout stated that the song managed to "set up the excitement for" it. [98] The titles of the album and the sequel, respectively, are part of a "spooky-ghost routine." [18] The routine is continued by "Ghost Town" being titled as such, while Kids See Ghosts track "4th Dimension" is also linked to the song since they both sample Ann Lee's "Someday". [18] [27] Kids See Ghosts are the lead performers of the sequel, differing from the prequel, in which Kid Cudi is an additional vocalist and West is the lead performer. [3] [18] The sequel includes vocals from American musician Ty Dolla Sign. [99] The song also interpolates lyrics from the prequel. [27]
The song was less successful than the prequel on the Hot 100, debuting at number 62 on the chart. [66] During Kid Cudi's appearance at Coachella 2019, he brought out West as a surprise. [92] The two of them performed "Ghost Town" and the song alongside other collaborations. [92] The staff of NME reassembled Ye and Kids See Ghosts for an edited album entitled Ye Sees Ghosts, featuring the prequel leading into the sequel. [100]
Recording
Personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [116] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [117] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [71] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [68] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Paranoid" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008). The song features vocals from English musician Mr Hudson and background vocals from fellow American rapper Kid Cudi. West handled the production, with co-production from Jeff Bhasker and Plain Pat. The song was written by the producers alongside Kid Cudi and American rapper Consequence. It was serviced to top 40 radio stations in the United States on March 23, 2009, as the fourth and final single from the album. An upbeat new wave track, the song features electronic drum effects and pop synths. Its lyrical content is centered around West being pushed away by the mistrustful thinking of a woman that he is in love with.
"Welcome to Heartbreak" is a song by American rapper and record producer Kanye West from his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008). The song features a guest appearance from Kid Cudi on his debut collaboration with West, as well as background vocals by Jeff Bhasker. It was produced by West, with co-production from Bhasker and Plain Pat; the three of them served as the songwriters alongside Kid Cudi. The inspiration behind the song was a conversation West had with Dave Sirulnick, who showed him some pictures of his children. A hip pop number, it has electronic instrumentation that is reliant on piano. In the lyrics of the song, West mentions trying to fill the lack of substance in his life with extravagant materialistic items.
"No Mistakes" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song features vocals from Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson and Caroline Shaw. It was produced by West, while co-produced by Che Pope and Shaw, with additional production from Mike Dean and Eric Danchick. The producers of the song, with the exception of Danchick, wrote it alongside Cyhi the Prynce, Malik Yusef, Kenneth Pershon and Bump J. Songwriting credit was added for Slick Rick due to the song sampling his work and as it samples music by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Edwin Hawkins was credited as a songwriter. The song contains samples of "Children Get Together", performed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, as well as "Hey Young World", performed by Slick Rick.
"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.
Kids See Ghosts was an American hip hop superduo composed of rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed during West's 2018 Wyoming sessions, the duo's first album Kids See Ghosts was released in June of that year by Def Jam Recordings, along with their respective label imprints, GOOD Music and Wicked Awesome Records. Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and received Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The duo disbanded in 2022 due to personal disagreements, although they reconciled the following year.
Kids See Ghosts is the only studio album by the American hip hop supergroup Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers and producers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. It was released on June 8, 2018, through GOOD Music and Wicked Awesome Records, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Prior to the release, West and Cudi had collaborated on each other's work since 2008, although they experienced personal quarrels due to creative differences. The first studio sessions for the album began after the two reunited in late 2016.
Ye is the eighth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 1, 2018, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Following controversy surrounding an interview with TMZ, West re-recorded all the work on the album, with him completing it over the course of just two weeks at West Lake Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Guest vocals from PartyNextDoor, Ty Dolla Sign, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Jeremih, and 070 Shake, among others, are included.
"Wouldn't Leave" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song includes vocals from PartyNextDoor, Ty Dolla Sign and Jeremih. It was produced by West and co-produced by Ty Dolla Sign, while additional production was handled by Mike Dean and Noah Goldstein. A minimalist track that includes gospel elements, the song contains a sample of "Baptizing Scene", performed by Reverend W.A. Donaldson. The former is a tribute to Kim Kardashian, including West addressing her reaction to his "slavery was a choice" statement. In May 2018, the song was revealed by West to be set for release on the album.
"I Thought About Killing You" is a song by American rapper Ye, released as the opening track on his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song was produced by Ye, Francis and the Lights, and Benny Blanco, with additional production from Mike Dean, Andy C and Aaron Lammer. The production is driven by repetitive a cappella intonations, which play in the background. The lyrical content of the song centers around Ye's thoughts of suicide and homicide, delivered in both rapping and spoken word. West imparted that he has had suicidal thoughts in an interview with The New York Times.
"Violent Crimes" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the final track on his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song features vocals from Ty Dolla Sign and 070 Shake, along with a voicemail message from Nicki Minaj. It was written by West, 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti, 070 Shake, Mike Dean, Kevin Parker, Ty Dolla Sign, Malik Yusef, and Pardison Fontaine, and produced by the former three. Fontaine was revealed by West to have contributed to most of the writing, and felt unhappy with him for revealing this information.
Danielle Balbuena, known professionally as 070 Shake, is an American rapper and singer. She is best known for her guest appearance on English singer Raye's 2022 single "Escapism", which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked atop the UK Singles Chart, and won Song of the Year at the 2024 Brit Awards, as well as her features on American rapper Kanye West's tracks, particularly the 2018 song Ghost Town.
Nasir is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Nas, released on June 15, 2018 through Mass Appeal and Def Jam Recordings. It marked his first album in six years since Life Is Good (2012). The album features guest appearances from Kanye West, Puff Daddy, 070 Shake, Tony Williams, and The-Dream. West also served as the album's executive producer, with additional production from Mike Dean, Andrew Dawson, Dot da Genius, and Cashmere Cat, among others.
"4th Dimension" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their first album Kids See Ghosts (2018). The song features Louis Prima who was credited as a co-writer due to his work being sampled prominently. The song was produced by West, with additional production from Mike Dean and Noah Goldstein. The song samples Prima's "What Will Santa Claus Say " and Shirley Ann Lee's "Someday". Lyrically, the song features Kids See Ghosts presenting their thoughts to stop themselves from becoming worried.
"Kids See Ghosts" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their first album Kids See Ghosts (2018). The song features a guest appearance from Mos Def, who received credit under his real name of Yasiin Bey. It was produced by West, Kid Cudi, and Plain Pat, while additional production was handled by Andrew Dawson, Justin Vernon and Noah Goldstein. Apart from Plain Pat and Goldstein, the producers wrote the song alongside Bey. Making heavy use of synthesizers, the song draws inspiration from ambient music. Lyrically, the song reflects on the difficulties of fame and success.
"Cudi Montage" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of Kanye West and Kid Cudi, released as the final track on their eponymous debut studio album (2018). The song was produced by Kid Cudi and Dot da Genius, with co-production from Mike Dean. The song also features vocals from Mr Hudson. Dot da Genius recorded with Kids See Ghosts in 2018, and he recalled West as unifying him and Kid Cudi's musical interests. An electro-gospel track with rock influences, the song samples Kurt Cobain's unreleased track "Burn the Rain". In the lyrics of the song, Kids See Ghosts pledge to not repeat past mistakes.
"Freeee " is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their first album Kids See Ghosts (2018). The song features a guest appearance from American musician Ty Dolla Sign. It is the sequel to West's song "Ghost Town" from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The former was produced by West and Kid Cudi, with co-production from Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, and BoogzDaBeast, while additional production was handled by Andrew Dawson, Andy C, and Russell "Love" Crews. Apart from BoogzDaBeast, the lead and co-producers wrote the song alongside Ty Dolla Sign and Corin Littler, who has the stage name of Mr. Chop and received songwriting credit due to his work being sampled.
"Feel the Love" is a song by the American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed by the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, and released as the opening track on their first studio album Kids See Ghosts (2018). The song includes a feature from GOOD Music president Pusha T. It was produced by West and co-produced by Mike Dean and Benny Blanco, with additional production by Plain Pat, Evan Mast, Justin Vernon, Francis and the Lights, Cashmere Cat and Noah Goldstein. Recording of the song was finished less than 10 hours before the album's release, with Pusha T's vocals being recorded during this time period. An industrial song, it features drums and synthesizers. It includes West scat singing in a manner that was compared to his performance on "Lift Yourself", while Pusha T raps the only verse and Kid Cudi sings a chorus about love.
"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.
"Reborn" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their eponymous debut studio album (2018). The song was produced by the latter of the two members and Dot da Genius, while co-produced by Plain Pat and Evan Mast, with additional production from Benny Blanco. The lead producers wrote it alongside West and Mast. Prior to release, Kid Cudi had posted about being reborn. Dot da Genius recorded with the duo in 2018; he recalled West as unifying him and Cudi's musical interests.
"New Body" is an unreleased song by American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign. Originally recorded in 2018, it first contained a guest appearance by rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. Lyrically, the song debunks body shaming and the stigma surrounding plastic surgery; portions of West's lyrics are unintelligible. It was originally slated for inclusion on West's album Yandhi in late 2018, which was never released. It was then reworked with Christian-themed lyrics for West's ninth studio album Jesus Is King (2019); this version omitted Minaj in favor of Ty Dolla Sign, and was later previewed at listening parties and subsequently leaked. The song was also excluded from Jesus Is King due to creative differences with West and Minaj. In June 2020, the latter expressed interest in releasing the song after it became viral on TikTok.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)