Gotta Have It (song)

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"Gotta Have It"
A 20 second sample of "Gotta Have It" which showcase's West's first verse of the song and the start of Jay-Z's.
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Jay-Z uses a homophone connecting the pronunciation of the words "richer" and prior" to comedian Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor 1969.JPG
Jay-Z uses a homophone connecting the pronunciation of the words "richer" and prior" to comedian Richard Pryor.

"Gotta Have It" unites "Kanye and the Neptunes to crazily chop up James Brown vocal samples and Eastern flute melodies." [4] The song contains "haunting backing vocals and an accompanying tambourine" with the two rappers trading verses with the vocal riff playing over them. [10] The song features "diced-up vocal snippets and gut-punching bass back aggressive rhymes" and includes a reference to the YC song "Racks" which is a "nod to the contemporary rap trends the track both embraces and outpaces." [11] While some tracks on Watch the Throne give the "star rappers turns at the mic," "Gotta Have It" is "pure tag-team hip-hop, with the two trading off verses and finishing each other's lines." [12] The song contains moments of the two rappers "finishing each others' Ferris Bueller and Miami Heat jokes over a chopped-up James Brown yelps" provided by the Neptunes. [13]

Reception

"Gotta Have It" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Sputnikmusic's Tyler Fisher stated that "The Neptunes turn in their best beat in years on 'Gotta Have It', sampling James Brown in a realm completely removed from funk and soul." [14] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole stated that "the duo volleys boasts at each other on 'Otis' and do call-and-response riffing on 'Gotta Have It', sounding like a pair of hustlers who can't believe how much they've gotten away with. The chemistry between the two friends and self-described sibling rivals is conveyed perfectly on those two tracks." [15]

David Amidon of PopMatters commented that several songs on the album are a "whirlwind of excitement, particularly 'Gotta Have It', which finds Kanye and Jay spitting such decadent, pro-Black-laden material as 'Maybachs on bachs on bachs on bachs on bachs / Who in that? / Oh, shit, it's just blacks on blacks on blacks'." [16] Popdust's Emily Exton reported that "the two trade lines instead of verses in what results in a surefire example of what can happen when two pros team up." [10] The song peaked at number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and at numbers 14, 13 and 17 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Songs and Rhythmic charts respectively. [17] [18] [19] [20]

Credits and personnel

Charts

"Gotta Have It"
Single by Jay-Z and Kanye West
from the album Watch the Throne
ReleasedDecember 6, 2011
Recorded2011
Genre Hip-hop
Length2:20
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Jay-Zsingles chronology
"Why I Love You"
(2011)		"Gotta Have It"
(2011)		"I Do"
(2012)

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) [23] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ 'Watch The Throne' Track-By-Track Breakdown (Def Jam VP of A&R Bu Thiam breaks down the tracks on 'Watch the Throne' with MTV News)
  2. ↑ Birchmeier, Jason (2010). "Kanye West". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation. Biography. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  3. 1 2 Dombal, Ryan (2010-10-25). "Kanye West and Jay-Z Planning Joint Album". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  4. 1 2 3 Breihan, Tom (August 11, 2011). "Album Reviews: Jay-Z / Kanye West: Watch the Throne". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ "®R&R :: Going For Adds™ :: Urban". Radio & Records . Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  6. ↑ "CHR – Available for Airplay". FMQB . Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  7. ↑ Bretbaf (May 21, 2012). "Kanye West & Jay-Z Concert Setlist at the O2 Arena, London, UK on May 21, 2012". The Independent . Independent Print Limited. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  8. ↑ Higgins Keenan (2012-06-25). "Kanye, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Nas join Hackney 2012". Vibe . Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  9. ↑ JAY-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It , retrieved 2022-11-12
  10. 1 2 Exton, Emily (2011-11-14). "Gotta Have It by Kanye and Jay-Z Review". Popdust. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
  11. ↑ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (July 8, 2011). "Jay-Z Previews 'Watch the Throne' in New York". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne': A Track-by-Track Breakdown". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. August 9, 2011. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  13. ↑ Harvilla, Rob (August 10, 2011). "Jay-Z and Kanye West, 'Watch the Throne' (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Roc Nation)". Spin . Spin Media. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  14. ↑ Fisher, Tyler (August 10, 2011). "Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch the Throne (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  15. ↑ Cole, Matthew (August 11, 2011). "Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch the Throne". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  16. ↑ Amidon, David (August 12, 2011). "Jay-Z & Kanye West: Watch the Throne". PopMatters . Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  17. 1 2 "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  18. 1 2 "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  19. 1 2 "Kanye West Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  20. 1 2 "Kanye West Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  21. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  22. ↑ "Rap Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  23. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Jay-Z And Kanye West – Gotta Have It". Radioscope. Retrieved January 20, 2025.Type Gotta Have It in the "Search:" field.
  24. ↑ "British single certifications – Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  25. ↑ "American single certifications – Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It". Recording Industry Association of America.
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