Hip Hop Is Dead (song)

Last updated

Everybody sounds the same, commercialize the game
Reminiscin' when it wasn't all business
It forgot where it started
So we all gather here for the dearly departed

Nas decries hip hop's commercialization and pledges to stay true to its origins, as in the last line of verse 1, where Nas mentions MC Shan and MC Ren, by saying "So nigga, who's your top ten, is it MC Shan is it MC Ren." Nas also mentions NBA commissioner David Stern.

Original samples

"Hip Hop Is Dead" contains samples of "Apache" performed by the Incredible Bongo Band, and their cover version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", originally performed by Iron Butterfly. Nas previously used the same sample on "Thief's Theme". In the second verse Nas uses the line "the bigger the cap the bigger the peelin'" which was used in Ice Cube's tracks "Steady Mobbin'" and "No Vaseline" off his 1991 album Death Certificate .

Censorship

"Hip Hop Is Dead"
Nas-hiphopisdead28200629.jpg
Single by Nas featuring will.i.am
from the album Hip Hop Is Dead
ReleasedNovember 5, 2006 (U.S.)
January 29, 2007 (UK)
Recorded2006
Length3:45
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) will.i.am
Nas singles chronology
"Blindfold Me"
(2006)
"Hip Hop Is Dead"
(2006)
"Can't Forget About You"
(2006)
will.i.am singles chronology
"Fergalicious"
(2006)
"Hip Hop Is Dead"
(2006)
"A Dream"
(2006)

On the album, both original and edited, the lyrics have been altered to remove profanities and gun references. The parts of the song when he[ who? ] says the word "nigga," that term is removed and replaced by other words, but it still keeps some words which are censored, including "ganja". The original one can also be heard censored, when Nas says a profanity, the disc is scratched on words like "AK, ganja, nigga and ass" but has less censored words than the censored version, which blanks out the profanity. Some lines are changed into another line because it originally had profanity in it, when Nas says the line "Rich ass niggas is ridin' with three llamas", it is changed to "Quick fast trigger fingers on the llama". Also when Nas says the line "Cuz we love to talk on ass we gettin'" to "Cuz we love to talk on nasty chickens". The unedited version can be found on various mixtapes. The main part of the song that is constantly changed is the hook. The different versions of the hook are:

"If hip hop should die before I wake / I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK / Roll to every station, murder the DJ / Roll to every station, murder the DJ"

"If hip hop should die before I wake / I'll put/load an extended clip and body 'em all day / Roll to every station, wreck the DJ / Roll to every station, wreck the DJ"

For the MTV version, "clip and body 'em" is censored, along with words like smoke, die, grindin', hittin', behind, stick-ups, and killings.

Sampled

Track listing

  1. "Hip Hop Is Dead" (clean)
  2. "Hip Hop Is Dead" (instrumental)
  3. "Where Y'all At" (explicit)

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drop It Like It's Hot</span> 2004 single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell

"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg, featuring American singer, rapper and musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, R&G : The Masterpiece (2004). The song was produced by Williams alongside Chad Hugo as the Neptunes. It is regarded as an iconic song, with Snoop performing the chorus and the second and third verses while Pharrell performs the first verse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nas discography</span> East Coast hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of Nas, an American rapper, consists of seventeen studio albums, one collaborative album, one group album, five compilations, four mixtapes, one extended play, and seventy-nine singles. Nas has sold over 20 million records in the United States alone, and 35 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nas Is Like</span> 1999 single by Nas

"Nas Is Like" is the first single from Nas' third album I Am.... The song is the sixth collaboration between Nas and producer DJ Premier. It was well received by critics as it was a change from the more commercial and pop-oriented singles from It Was Written and Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album. The song contains a combination of braggadocios and introspective lyrics over a choppy string sample.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Okay (One Blood)</span> 2006 single by The Game

"It's Okay (One Blood)" is a song by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist The Game featuring vocals from reggae singer Junior Reid, from his second studio album Doctor's Advocate. Released as the album's lead single on July 24, 2006, the song was written by The Game himself and Junior Reid, and it was produced by D-Roc, and Reefa. The Game himself revealed that the song would be released on July 31, 2006, but actually was released on July 24, 2006. The song was originally to be released on July 4, 2006 but got pushed back by The Game. Jimmy Rosemond, head of Czar Entertainment and The Game's manager, explained how "One Blood" would receive positive radio airplay and prove the talent that The Game had. A supposed original version of the song was released in late January 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead Presidents (song)</span> 1996 single by Jay-Z

"Dead Presidents" is a 1996 song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the first promotional single for Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt, though it did not directly appear on the album: a different version of the song with the same backing track and chorus but with different lyrics called "Dead Presidents II" appeared on Reasonable Doubt. "Dead Presidents II" was voted number 2 in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Jay-Z Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Boy (Cam'ron song)</span> 2002 single by Camron featuring Juelz Santana

"Oh Boy" is a 2002 Grammy-nominated hip hop single by Cam'ron from his album Come Home with Me, and features Juelz Santana. The single was released through Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, Cam'ron's Diplomat Records and Def Jam Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's That</span> 2006 single by Snoop Dogg

"That's That" is the second single by Snoop Dogg from the album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The song was the first single taken from the album in the UK; however the single only achieved notable success in the U.S., where it reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song samples the melody played in the 1988 film Coming to America during the bathroom scene in which Eddie Murphy gets washed by female servants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plies (rapper)</span> American rapper (born 1976)

Algernod Lanier Washington, better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper. Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Plies was a wide receiver on the Miami Redskins football team of Miami University in Ohio for two years in 1995 before embarking on a musical career. After a brief transfer to University of Central Florida, he dropped out and signed with the South Florida-based record label Slip-n-Slide Records in 2004; after four mixtapes, he signed a joint venture with Atlantic Records two years later.

<i>The Giancana Story</i> 2002 studio album by Kool G Rap

The Giancana Story is the third solo album by American rapper Kool G Rap, released by Koch Records on November 26, 2002. Its producers included Bink, Buckwild, Jaz-O, Knobody, Rockwilder and V.I.C., while AZ, Capone-N-Noreaga, Havoc, Joell Ortiz and Prodigy were amongst the guest vocalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">24's (T.I. song)</span> 2003 single by T.I.

"24's" is a song by American rapper T.I., released April 29, 2003, as the lead single from his second studio album Trap Muzik (2003). It is his first song to enter the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 78 on the chart in 2003. It was also featured on the street racing game Need for Speed: Underground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight Outta Compton (song)</span> 1988 single by N.W.A.

"Straight Outta Compton" is a song by American hip hop group N.W.A. It was released on July 10, 1988 as the lead single from their debut album of the same name. It also appears on N.W.A's Greatest Hits with an extended mix and The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge. The song samples "You'll Like It Too" by Funkadelic, "West Coast Poplock" by Ronnie Hudson and the Street People, "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" by Wilson Pickett, and most famously, "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons. It was voted number 19 on About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs, and is ranked number 6 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Untitled Nas album</span> 2008 studio album by Nas

The untitled ninth studio album by American rapper Nas, commonly referred to eponymously as Nas, or simply Untitled, was released on July 15, 2008 by The Jones Experience, Columbia Records and The Island Def Jam Music Group. Its original title Nigger was omitted due to controversy surrounding the racial epithet. The album is distinguished for its political content, diverse sources of production, and provocative subject matter. The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes, and The Game, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero (Nas song)</span> 2008 single by Nas featuring Keri Hilson

"Hero" is a song by American rapper Nas, released June 2008 as the lead single from his untitled album. The song, which features vocals from American R&B singer Keri Hilson, was produced by Polow da Don.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyga discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Tyga consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, twenty mixtapes, sixty-seven singles and forty-six music videos. In 2008, Tyga released his first studio album, No Introduction, on the record label Decaydance Records. The album was led by the single "Coconut Juice", which peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and marked Tyga's first song to enter on the chart. In 2010, Tyga and Virginia singer Chris Brown released the collaborative mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010), which included their hit single "Deuces", which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tyga's first song to chart on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked atop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niggas in Paris</span> 2011 single by Jay-Z and Kanye West

"Niggas in Paris" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative studio album, Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by Hit-Boy with West and Mike Dean, while Anthony Kilhoffer contributed additional production. The producers served as co-writers with Jay-Z and Reverend W.A. Donaldson, the latter of whom was credited due to a sample of his work. Jay-Z envisioned the song's concept as how the two obtained their wealth instead of showing it off, using it as a momentary question of their status. Pusha T was originally offered the beat, yet rejected it due to the playful sound. The beat was crafted by Hit-Boy in five minutes and went unused until he was called by Don C, then he provided it for the song. On September 13, 2011, the song was released to US rhythmic and urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth single, through Def Jam, Roc Nation, and Roc-A-Fella

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juicy J discography</span>

The discography of Juicy J, an American rapper, consists of seven studio albums, 22 singles, two promotional singles and eighty music videos.

Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music which originated in the Southern United States, with lyrical references to trap starting in 1991 but the modern sound of trap appearing in 1999. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang term "trap house", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music is known for its simple, rhythmic, minimalistic productions that uses synthesized drums, and is characterized by complex hi-hat patterns, snare drums, bass drums, some tuned with a long decay to emit a bass frequency, and lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustard (record producer)</span> American record producer (born 1990)

Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer and DJ. A frequent collaborator of fellow California-based artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign, he began his career producing singles and albums for both rappers, and has since done so for other prominent acts in hip hop and R&B. He first saw recognition for his work on Tyga's 2011 single "Rack City".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Nigga</span> 2013 single by YG featuring Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan

"My Nigga," censored as "My Hitta" or "My N*gga," is a song by American rapper YG, released by Def Jam Recordings and CTE World on September 17, 2013, as the lead single from his debut studio album My Krazy Life (2014). The song, produced by frequent collaborator DJ Mustard, features guest appearances from CTE World label boss Jeezy and Atlanta-based rapper Rich Homie Quan. It interpolates "The Sky is the Limit", as written and performed by Lil Wayne as well as the refrain from C-Murder's single "Down for My N's".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YG discography</span>

The discography of YG, an American rapper, consists of seven studio albums, 55 singles and nine mixtapes. YG's debut studio album, My Krazy Life, was released on March 18, 2014. His second studio album, Still Brazy, was released on June 17, 2016. His best known singles include "Big Bank", "My Nigga" and "Who Do You Love".

References

  1. Allmusic: Hip Hop Is Dead? Allmusic/ Billboard . Retrieved on December 6, 2006
  2. 1 2 "The ARIA Report: Issue 887 (Week Commencing 5 March 2007)" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  3. "Nas: Hip Hop Is Dead" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  4. "Nas feat. will.i.am – Hip Hop Is Dead" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  5. "Nas feat. will.i.am – Hip Hop Is Dead". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  6. "Nas feat. will.i.am – Hip Hop Is Dead". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  7. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  8. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  10. "Nas Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  11. "Nas Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  12. "Nas Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  13. "Nas – Awards". AllMusic . Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  14. "Urban Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week . January 12, 2008. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2023.