"Heil Hitler", also known as "Nigga Heil Hitler", is a song by the American rapper Kanye West. It was independently released on May 8, 2025, as the third single from his unreleased studio album, In a Perfect World. It was written by the American rapper Dave Blunts and produced by Quadwoofer and Sheffmade, while West's group the Hooligans provide additional vocals. In "Heil Hitler", West claims his custody battle and the freezing of his assets caused him to turn to Nazism, and the chorus features him and the Hooligans chanting "nigga heil Hitler" against a synth-heavy, orchestral instrumental.
"Heil Hitler" was panned by critics, and drew outrage and condemnation due to its antisemitism and praise of Adolf Hitler. It was banned from all major digital streaming platforms and in Germany due to Germany's laws against extremist symbolism and hate speech, but went viral on social media, with West's X upload receiving over 6.5 million views within two days. In July, Australia revoked West's travel visa due to "Heil Hitler".
West released "Heil Hitler" in altered forms to circumvent bans. An instrumental version, "The Heil Symphony" (later "Hit Symphony"), was uploaded in its place on May 14. After announcing that he was "done with antisemitism", West released "Hallelujah", an alternate version of "Heil Hitler" that replaces its references to Nazism with lyrics relating to Christianity, on May 31. After meeting with the Orthodox rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto to apologize in November 2025, West began issuing copyright strikes on uploads of "Heil Hitler".
Background
In February 2025, Kanye West met American rapper Dave Blunts through the former's touring agent, and they began collaborating.[1][2] Blunts had previously been credited as the sole writer to all of In a Perfect World's songs, including the singles "WW3" and "Cousins".[3] Speaking about "Heil Hitler" in a June 2025 interview, Blunts said he understood people's frustrations with its lyrics, jokingly comparing himself to J. Robert Oppenheimer due to his involvement in its writing.[3] Despite this, he still defended the track, stating that, "everybody acts like they don't like [it]. It's a good fucking song. The beat was pretty good."[3]
Before its release, "Heil Hitler" was featured on the track listing revealed by media personality DJ Akademiks on April 3, 2025.[4] 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."[5]Digital Nas, who worked on the track, said it was the "song of the year".[6]
Composition
The 1935 speech by Adolf Hitler that West sampled in "Heil Hitler"
Musically, "Heil Hitler" features a synth-heavy and orchestral instrumental, with marching band-style coming in during the bridge.[7][8] 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".[8] The song ends with a sample taken from a 1935 Adolf Hitler speech.[9][10] 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!"[11][12]
An edited version of the song's instrumental, "The Heil Symphony" or "The Hit 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[13] – and further emphasizes its orchestral elements.[14][15] This version was also taken down by Spotify, leading West to re-upload the song with a black single cover and the updated name "Hit Symphony".[16]
After previously stating he was "done with antisemitism", West released 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.[17]
Release and aftermath
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.[18] However, it has been removed from streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.[19] West has stated that the song was "banned by all digital streaming platforms".[13][8][20] Spokespeople for Reddit and YouTube told NBC News that the platforms were working to remove uploads of the song and posts promoting it.[21] Social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, both owned by Meta Platforms, retained posts with the song.[22][23]
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.[22][bettersourceneeded]
Around November 6, 2025, YZY began issuing copyright strikes on YouTube against videos that contained "Heil Hitler", after West met with the Orthodox rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto and apologized for his statements.[24][25] On November 17, 2025, "Hallelujah" and "Hit Symphony" were removed from streaming platforms.[citation needed] A video of far-right influencers, including Nick Fuentes, Clavicular, Sneako, Myron Gaines, and Andrew Tate, singing along to "Heil Hitler" at the Miami Beach nightclub Vendôme circulated online in January 2026. Vendôme apologized and reportedly banned the men from the club.[26][27] Miami Beach mayor Steven Meiner condemned the incident on social networking serviceX (formerly known as Twitter), explaining that he was "deeply disturbed and disgusted."[28] The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation condemned both the song's use and the behavior accompanying it.[29]Music Times reported that West was infuriated by the incident, as he had been attempting to repair his image since the meeting with Pinto.[30]
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."[33] 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 "The continued spread of the song and the varying approaches to moderation exemplify an increasingly fractured environment online and on social media."[21]
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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