"Heil Hitler", also known by the alternative version title "Nigga Heil Hitler", and later known as "Hallelujah", is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It was independently released on May 8, 2025, as the third single from his upcoming thirteenth studio album, In a Perfect World. Titled after the exclamation said when doing the Nazi salute, the song features additional vocals from West's group the Hooligans. Written by American rapper Dave Blunts, it was produced by Quadwoofer and Sheffmade.
The track received negative reviews from critics, including outrage and condemnation due to its antisemitism and praise of Adolf Hitler. West has claimed that the controversial nature and subject matter of "Heil Hitler" caused the song to be banned from all major digital streaming platforms. The song has been banned in Germany due to Germany's laws against extremist symbolism and hate speech. West's travel visa to Australia was revoked due to the song's content.
West has re-released "Heil Hitler" in multiple altered forms since it was taken down. An instrumental version was uploaded in its place on May 14, titled "The Heil Symphony" (later "Hit Symphony"). After announcing that he was "done with antisemitism", West released "Hallelujah" on May 31, an alternate version of "Heil Hitler" that replaces its references to Nazism with lyrics relating to Christianity.
Background
In February 2025, Kanye West met American rapper Dave Blunts through the former's agent, and they began collaborating together.[3][4] Blunts has previously been credited as the sole writer to all of In a Perfect World's singles, including "WW3" and "Cousins".[5] Speaking about "Heil Hitler" in a June 2025 interview, Blunts said he understood people's frustrations with its lyrics, jokingly comparing himself to Oppenheimer due to his involvement in its writing.[5] Despite this, he still defended the track, stating that, "[e]verybody acts like they don't like [it]. It's a good fucking song. The beat was pretty good."[5]
Before its release, "Heil Hitler" was featured on the track listing revealed by media personality DJ Akademiks on April 3, 2025.[6] The song was played multiple times during livestreams by West in the following month, showcasing progress on the development of In a Perfect World. Notably, earlier versions of the song contain a line aimed at fellow rapper Drake: "Niggas be acting like faggots so much, I think they might be Drake."[7]Digital Nas, who worked on the track, said it was the "song of the year".[8]
Composition
The 1935 speech by Adolf Hitler that West sampled in "Heil Hitler"
The song features a synth-heavy and orchestral instrumental, including marching band-style drums during its bridge. For the hook, West and his group the Hooligans chant "All my niggas Nazis, nigga, heil Hitler." West's first verse details the current state of his life, including his custody battle and the freezing of his assets, using them as justification for why he "became a Nazi".[9] The song ends with a sample taken from a 1935 Adolf Hitler speech. The speech is in German, and translates to:
"If you consider the work I'm doing to be right, if you think I have been diligent, that I have worked, that I have advocated for you this year, that I have spent my time honestly in the service of my people, then cast your vote! If so, then stand up for me like I have stood up for you!"[10][11]
An edited version of the song's instrumental, "The Heil Symphony", replaced the original version on most streaming services. Released to Scrybe earlier in the day, this version removes the vocals and drums – the former being the reason for the song's deletion[12] – and emphasizes the song's orchestral elements further.[13][14] "The Heil Symphony" was also taken down by Spotify, leading West to upload the song again with a black single cover and the updated name "Hit Symphony".[15]
After previously stating he was "done with antisemitism", West would release a new version of "Heil Hitler" titled "Hallelujah", replacing the mentions of Hitler with lyrics relating to Christianity. This version still contains the majority of the first verse; only the word "Nazi" is censored. Additionally, the Hitler speech is completely removed, with the song's ending itself being cut down.[16]
Release
West released "Heil Hitler" via a music video posted to his X account on May 8, 2025. The video depicts an empty warehouse of black men standing in militaristic formation, draped in animal skins and mimicking lines done by the Hooligans.[17] However, it has been removed from streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.[18] West has stated that the song was "banned by all digital streaming platforms".[12][9][19] Spokespeople for Reddit and YouTube told NBC News that the platforms were working to remove uploads of the song and posts promoting it.[20] Social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, both owned by Meta Platforms, retained posts with the song.[21][22]
The music video for the song is restricted and unviewable in Germany. Strafgesetzbuch section 86a bans the dissemination of Nazi symbols, punishable with up to three years in prison or a fine.[21][bettersourceneeded]
Journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti from The Spectator described the lyrical content of "Heil Hitler" as "a crude litany of racial epithets, Nazi slogans, and sexual bragging". He disagreed with supporters who argued that the song is "an effort to 'confront' taboo or 'reclaim' pain", describing it as representative of "the collapse of cultural seriousness, the triumph of provocation over principle, and the ascendance of a cult that trades in attention as currency, heedless of the cost to our collective dignity."[25] The song went viral on social media; West's X upload received over 6.5 million views by May 10, while six YouTube uploads collectively received hundreds of thousands of views. NBC News wrote that "[t]he continued spread of the song and the varying approaches to moderation exemplify an increasingly fractured environment online and on social media."[20]
Some publications argued that censorship of the song may increase its popularity, as well as infringe on freedom of speech,[13][26] a sentiment echoed by public figures such as Joe Rogan[27] and Russell Brand.[28] Far-right political pundit Nick Fuentes, who is closely associated with West, described it as the "song of the year",[18] and posted on X that the song "has been stuck in my head all week" and imagined "50,000 people in a stadium ... singing every word."[29] In July 2025, the Australian Department of Home Affairs revoked West's travel visa due to the song's promotion of Nazism.[30] West had previously faced the possibility of being denied entry in 2023, as Minister for EducationJason Clare had suggested banning him from Australia due to several antisemitic comments he made in October 2022.[31]
The "Top 5 Version" is a remix based on an earlier version of the song played to Top5 on the streaming platform Parti, which was nicknamed the "Top5 version" by fans prior to the song's release.
The Scrybe release misnames multiple mixes of the song.
"Heil Hitler" is the Top 5 Version.
"Nigga Heil Hitler" is the music video edit.
"The Heil Symphony" and "Hit Symphony" are identical.
"Hallelujah" replaces the refrain with Christian-themed lyrics and removes the Hitler sample.
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