"I'm In It" | |
---|---|
Song by Kanye West | |
from the album Yeezus | |
Released | June 18, 2013 |
Recorded | 2013 |
Studio |
|
Genre | |
Length | 3:54 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) | Kanye West |
"I'm In It" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album, Yeezus (2013). The song features additional vocals from Justin Vernon and Assassin. West served the role of lead producer and Evian Christ co-produced it with Dom $olo, while Noah Goldstein, Arca, and Mike Dean contributed additional production. The rapper, Evian Christ, and Dean served as co-writers with the vocalists, Malik Yusef, Cyhi the Prynce, Sakiya Sandifer, and Elon Rutberg, while Dre & Vidal, Jill Scott, Carvin Haggins, and Kenny Lattimore received credits due to a sample of their composition. The song started as a six-minute arrangement with a different sample and melody, edited down to run for around three minutes.
A hip hop, dancehall, industrial, and trap track, "I'm in It" features prominent reggae elements and a sample of Lattimore's "Lately". Lyrically, West discusses a sexual fantasy of himself and Kim Kardashian. The song received polarized reviews from music critics, who were divided in their feelings towards West's sexual lyrics. Some highlighted his fantasy and others criticized the inappropriateness, while a few critics praised the production. The song reached numbers 17 and 43 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, respectively. West performed it during The Yeezus Tour (2013–14).
Jamaican deejay Assassin commented that West decided to go in the direction of Jamaican culture on the album as he incorporated dancehall elements, benefitting the genre for continuing its combination with hip hop. He felt that West's usage of dancehall and reggae influenced different artists of his styles, making front-page headlines across continents for working with him. [1] Assassin was recruited by West's team at Gee Jam Studios in Jamaica's Portland Parish, finding the initial sessions to resemble his posse cut "Mercy" (2012) and he delivered different verses to instrumentals with no other vocals. West enjoyed listening to Assassin's recordings and he contacted him to use one of the verses without disclosing it was for Yeezus at the time; the deejay excitedly learnt he was on the album when at a club. [1] The two did not communicate directly during the recording process and first met each other in December 2014, being introduced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. [2] Around a year later, Assassin recalled that receiving recognition from someone like West proved he was "doing a lot right". [3]
After Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon collaborated with West on his fifth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010, he developed a bond with the rapper and worked on ten songs for Yeezus, of which three were included. Vernon was playing guitar around a campfire and drinking beer with a band of his at a barn when there was a sudden power outage, leading to him starting to write for "I'm in It". [4] Record producer Mike Dean cited Vernon as an artist West would always collaborate with and did not pinpoint him as any musical genre, not knowing if he would sing like the Bee Gees or perform in distortion and comparing his focus on emotion to Michael McDonald. Vernon looked back with a lack of awareness of his lyrics on the song and described West as discussing "really violently and stunningly visual sex shit", which came from the "intelligent conversations" about the state of women held in the studio rather than how the rapper talked to his friends. [5] The singer also compared the imagery to the 2000 film American Psycho , through West resembling a director as not everything he discusses is "actually him saying it every time". [5] Vernon felt that he played a character on the song that would be defined by West's editing and used his section of singing "star fucker" for "calling somebody out", while he had no idea of what Assassin was saying. [5]
West and the artists on his label GOOD Music repeatedly listened to English record producer Evian Christ's Kings and Them during the recording sessions for Cruel Summer , their compilation album released in 2012. This led to him recruiting Evian Christ for Yeezus; he later signed to GOOD Music on his major label debut. [6] The producer was given two days to record material for West and crafted nine tracks in January 2013, one of which was selected for "I'm in It". The track started with "breathy sex sounds" over the snares for its sexual nature, going into overdrive with the emphasis after West contributed rapping. [5] Evian Christ did a double-take on a couple of West's lines at first, although felt that the rapper had to "go all the way" about sexual topics. [5] According to engineer Anthony Kilhoffer, the song originated with a different sample and melody that West abandoned for a six-minute arrangement, until producer Rick Rubin edited it to flow in the structure of a three-minute composition. Dean recalled how everyone would "push things to be weirder" and he moved in a more musical direction, although West gravitated towards hip hop and he praised the final product that contrasts with "crazy guitar parts and all this stadium stuff". [5] Producer Noah Goldstein recalled that West was fully responsible for the reggae voices, standing as the curator of the production. [5] The rapper produced "I'm in It", while Evian Christ and Dom $olo served as co-producers and additional production was contributed by Goldstein, Arca, and Dean. West, Evian Christ, and Dean co-wrote it with Vernon, Assassin, Malik Yusef, Cyhi the Prynce, Sakiya Sandifer, and Elon Rutberg, while the duo Dre & Vidal, Jill Scott, Carvin Haggins, and singer Kenny Lattimore received songwriting credits due to the sample of "Lately". [7]
Musically, "I'm in It" is a hip hop, [5] dancehall, [1] [8] [9] industrial, and trap track, with elements of reggae, [10] [11] techno, [12] and punk rock. [13] It features a sample of Lattimore's "Lately". [7] The song contains screeching synthesizers, percussion, and fast-paced snare drums. [14] [15] It features dog bark sounds, which are incorporated low into the mix. [16] The song also includes "Oh" vocals, as crafted by Tammy Infusino and Ken Lewis. [7] It features a pulse when the beat drops following the chorus, with a tempo of around 70 beats per minute. [17] West raps in a melancholy voice that is chopped and screwed, being distorted to an aggressive tone. [8] [13] [17] A verse is contributed from Assassin, [1] who also delivers lines next to West's verses and crooning is contributed from Vernon; [15] [18] he sings the chorus with West. [17]
In the lyrics of "I'm in It", West details a sexual fantasy of a night with his then-wife Kim Kardashian. [14] [19] The highly explicit content was noted by numerous publications, [20] with Pitchfork and The Daily Telegraph seeing it as XXX-rated. [9] [21] West proclaims "Thank God almighty, free at last" in reference to Kardashian unveiling her breasts, alluding to Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech. [14] [19] [22] [23] He demands sweet and sour sauce as he raps about oral sex with an Asian women and also quirks about making a girl scream "AAAAAAH-a-a-a-a-a!", [14] [24] then repeatedly asserts "That's right, I'm in it" [17] as he is accompanied by Assassin every few lines. [8] The deejay also mentions his "bad man ting", while Vernon calls out a "star fucker" during the bridge. [4] [5] [17] In the final verse, West declares that he cannot abandon nightlife in spite of being married with children and admits to sleeping with his nightlight on, [9] [18] [21] concluding that he speaks "Swag-hili". [10] [20]
"I'm In It" was included as the sixth track on West's sixth studio album, Yeezus, released on June 18, 2013, through his labels Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella. [13] [25] The song was met with polarized reviews from music critics, with split asessments of the sexual content. Ryan Reed from Paste identified West and Vernon as the album's best collaboration, labeling the song a "disturbing sex rap" backed by snares as West references Kardashian's breasts and goes "for condoms like a ninja". [15] Writing for AllMusic, David Jeffries was taken aback by the song's "punkish, irresponsible blast-femy" as West articulates his dreams at his loudest during the sexual lyrics. [13] The staff of Billboard noted that West "mangles his voice and flips to beast mode" for the content, beginning at a slow pace and transitioning into "a dancehall romp". [8] Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork noted the song's heavy explicitness and that it sounds like "a dancehall orgasm mired in quicksand", making West's similar songs such as "Slow Jamz" (2003) seem like Disney theme songs, while he considered the sweet and sour line to come across as oafishness. [9] HipHopDX reviewer Justin Hunte thought that the song's club-appropriate sexual lyrics, reggae influences, and "Swag-hili" line make it "quickly embed itself Indian-style into the eardrum". [10] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone wrote that the song resembles the soundtrack of "a snuff film for Cylons" and said that in the lyrics, West "sounds at once righteous and evil". [26] At PopMatters , David Amidon was interested in certain lyrics from West and found imagining him asleep with his nightlight on to be fun, while he stated Assassin goes "in and out of the beat like a pirate ship on the high seas". [18] However, Amidon believed that listeners will take time to appreciate the song and West should have articulated a response to Ray J's "I Hit It First" without its incoherent last verse. [18]
Providing a less enthusiastic review for The New York Times , Jon Pareles stated that West enacts the black stereotype of "the insatiable superstud, callous and lewd", who uses women for sexual means. [27] He noted that West adds "a little blasphemy" for a reaction, despite not seeing any achievement in being smarter than "hip-hop's many other raunchmongers". [27] In the Los Angeles Times , Randall Roberts was both surprised and impressed with West's reference to King's speech, although expressed that the song "could be called bawdy were it not so lyrically dark". [19] In a mixed review, Jesal "Jay Soul" Padania from RapReviews felt that the "quick-quick-slow dancefloor fuck song" is highly explicit to varying levels of success, criticizing how West's misogyny resembles fellow rapper Lil Wayne's I Am Not a Human Being II (2013). [20] Forrest Cardamenis of No Ripcord wrote off West's mixed messaging with his "racially-charged lyrics" as he sexually references King's speech and a civil rights sign, making a historical error as the Black Panther Party's sign was instead a closed fist. [28] Referencing the latter line for NME , Gavin Haynes questioned if there would be "a more sacrilegious moment in 2013" and he also found a lack of meaning in the title of "I'm in It". [29] On a similar note, The Fly 's Alex Denney called West misogynistic and hard to listen to as he seemingly places "the rap lexicon on the psychologist's sofa". [11] For the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot was irritated with West for his sweet and sour sauce line that takes part in "the kind of transgressive 'humor'" of artists of a lesser caliber. [30] Gary Suarez of The Quietus thought that West went too far with the line, which he called the "most tasteless joke" on Yeezus. [24]
Upon the release of the album, "I'm in It" debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. [31] It also entered the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 43. [32]
West incorporated five spelled-out segments into The Yeezus Tour (2013–14), performing "I'm in It" during the third segment "Falling". [33] [34] He wore a tunic made from spare green military material with a large number of pockets for the performance, while men in body suits walked around him. [33] [35]
Within the same week of the album's release, a remix of the song was released by DMNDZ. A trap remix, it adds prominent 808s and hi-hats. Faceasaurus Rex also shared their "Swaghili Remix", based in the same genre with heavy bass. [36] Tinashe premiered her track "Vulnerable" in November 2013, featuring a verse from rapper Travis Scott that interpolates "I'm in It". [37] In spite of his admiration for West, Canadian musician Drake criticized his "Swaghili" line and said that even fellow rapper Fabolous "wouldn't say some shit like that" in a February 2014 interview. [38]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [7]
Recording
Personnel
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [31] | 17 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [39] | 43 |
US On-Demand Songs ( Billboard ) [40] | 27 |
GOOD Music is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide distribution contract with the Island Def Jam Music Group in 2011. In 2012, the label released its only compilation album, Cruel Summer. In 2015, Pusha T was appointed president of the label by West, while record executive Steven Victor was appointed chief operating officer (COO). In late 2022, Pusha T stepped down from the position as he was no longer on speaking terms with West.
"Stronger" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song was produced by West, with an extended outro handled by Mike Dean. It was written by West and Daft Punk were credited as co-writers due to their work being sampled, while Edwin Birdsong also received a credit from a master use of "Cola Bottle Baby". West decided to sample "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" after first hearing the duo's work when touring in 2006, then made the beat and spent months re-writing his verses. The song's production process was arduous, with various engineers and 75 different mixes, even having the drum programming redone with Timbaland after its release. Daft Punk voiced their approval of the song, finding West made the sample suitable for his personality as he ventured outside of hip hop.
"Good Life" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring American singer T-Pain from the former's third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song includes background vocals from John Legend and Ne-Yo. West and Toomp handled the production, with additional production from Mike Dean. T-Pain thought of the concept when dining out with West, while he also recorded numerous hooks that the rapper used for his feature. On October 2, 2007, the song was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the album's third single. A pop number, it samples Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. " and features synths. Lyrically, the song sees West celebrating his success and being determined to succeed, and T-Pain also reflecting on his success.
"Homecoming" is a song by the American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song was written by West and Warryn Campbell, who served as the producers, along with Chris Martin of Coldplay, who makes a guest appearance. Martin came up with the concept during a jam session with West at Abbey Road Studios in February 2006. It was a re-working of West's 2001 recording "Home (Windy)", which was inspired by Common's "I Used to Love H.E.R.". The recording featured John Legend and a different beat, with a theme around West's hometown of Chicago that was maintained for the final version.
Yeezus is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production, including Mike Dean, Daft Punk, Noah Goldstein, Arca, Hudson Mohawke, and Travis Scott. The album also features guest vocals from Justin Vernon, Chief Keef, Kid Cudi, Assassin, King L, Charlie Wilson, and Frank Ocean.
"New Slaves" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album, Yeezus (2013). The song features additional vocals from Frank Ocean. It was produced by West and co-produced by Benjamin Bronfman, while Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Travis Scott, Sham Joseph, and Che Pope contributed additional production. West, Bronfman, and Dean co-wrote the song with Ocean, Cyhi the Prynce, Malik Yusef, Rhymefest, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, King Louie, and Anna Adamis, with Gábor Presser receiving credit due to a sample of his composition. In May 2013, the song was previewed by Hudson Mohawke at the Polish Free Form Festival and formally announced by Virgil Abloh. West debuted it with video projections of him rapping on buildings worldwide in locations like Los Angeles, London, and Amsterdam.
"Hold My Liquor" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was primarily produced by West and longtime collaborator Mike Dean, who also provides a guitar solo, with additional production from Arca and Noah Goldstein. It features vocals from rapper Chief Keef and singer-songwriter Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. It is a house ballad that is built upon a pulsating synth beat with metallic stabs. In the song, West stumbles into an ex-girlfriend's home for reckless sex, with lyrics that contain references to substance abuse and issues with relationships and self-image.
"On Sight" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album, Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Daft Punk, with additional production by Benji B and Mike Dean. The song includes an electronic sound that was mainly contributed by Daft Punk, who were the first people West became involved with for the album. The song itself was first heard when performed live by West at the Governors Ball Music Festival in 2013.
"Bound 2" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featured as the final track from his sixth studio album, Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Che Pope, with additional production being handled by Eric Danchick, Noah Goldstein, No ID and Mike Dean. The song features vocals from American soul singer Charlie Wilson and serves as the album's second single. "Bound 2" incorporates samples from "Bound" by Ponderosa Twins Plus One and the lines "Uh-huh, honey" and "Alright" from Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nothin's". The song also interpolates Wee's "Aeroplane (Reprise)" for the bridge, sung by Charlie Wilson.
"Black Skinhead" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Daft Punk. The song's lyrics center on racial tensions and the crumbling mental state of the character West portrays on the album. The song premiered on Saturday Night Live in May 2013, with West performing it in front of a projected backdrop. He has since performed the song live on various occasions, including at the Glastonbury Festival and the Billboard Music Awards in 2015. It was universally praised by music critics and ranked by numerous sites, including Rolling Stone and NME, as one of the best tracks of 2013. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Nick Knight and features computer-generated imagery of West, with interactive options including "screen grabbing" and adjusting the speed of his vocals. The video was released in July 2013 and has received positive reviews from critics.
"Blood on the Leaves" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). In the song, West presents his thoughts on how fame can cause the destruction of relationships, while making comparisons of contemporary times to the lynching of African Americans in the United States during the pre-civil rights era. West delivers his vocals through an Auto-Tune processor, like on his 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak. It contains samples of both singer Nina Simone's 1965 rendition of Billie Holiday's song "Strange Fruit", and "R U Ready" by the duo TNGHT, who co-produced the track.
"I Am a God" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). The song credits God as a featured performer. It was produced by West, Hudson Mohawke, Daft Punk, and Mike Dean, and includes vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. The song contains samples of "Forward Inna Dem Clothes", written by Capleton and H. Hart, and performed by the latter, and "Are Zindagi Hai Khel" by Manna Dey, R. D. Burman and Asha Bhosle.
"Send It Up" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West, Daft Punk, Gesaffelstein, Brodinski, Arca and Mike Dean. Like other songs on the album, it features an industrial hip hop sound, with elements of electronic music. The song features vocals from American rapper King Louie, who improvised his contributions. It contains a sample of "Memories" by Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer Beenie Man. Eight days before its release on the album, West performed the song live at the Governors Ball Music Festival, along with four other tracks from Yeezus.
Cydel Charles Young, known professionally as CyHi the Prynce, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He signed a major label recording contract with Akon's Konvict Muzik, in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings in 2009. The following year, he gained mainstream attention for his guest appearance alongside Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, and RZA on Kanye West's 2010 song "So Appalled" from his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). He was then credited with extensive songwriting work on West's further releases, resulting in five Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Song, as well as one additional nomination for his work on Travis Scott's 2018 single "Sicko Mode."
"No More Parties in LA" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016), featuring vocals from fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was produced by West and Madlib, who began the recording in 2010. The beat was originally offered to Freddie Gibbs before being given to West and Lamar by Madlib. The song was released as the third promotional single from the album as part of West's GOOD Fridays series on January 18, 2016.
"Freestyle 4" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West that features vocals from rapper Desiigner. The track is from West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). It was remixed by Tyler, the Creator in March 2016.
"I Wonder" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the fourth track on his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song was written and produced by him, while Labi Siffre received a songwriting credit due to the sample of his work; West moves towards influences from rock and electronic music. Composed by West as a variation of "City of Blinding Lights" by his tourmates U2, he set it to focus on the concerns of university graduates. A hip hop and R&B ballad with Eurodance and stadium rock elements, the song relies on a sample of "My Song" by Labi Siffre. Its downbeat instrumentation has a distorted beat and is led by Larry Gold's orchestration, razorblade synths, and a drum kit.
"Guilt Trip" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West, Mike Dean, S1, with an additional production credit for Travis Scott and Ackeejuice Rockers for the samples of "Chief Rocka" by Lords of the Underground and "Blocka" by Pusha T featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott. The song's lyrics deal with looking back at a failed relationship, similar to fellow Yeezus track "Blood on the Leaves". West provides his vocals through rapping and singing through an Auto-Tune processor, reminiscent of his 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak. The song includes vocals from rapper Kid Cudi, who later expressed negative opinions about his feature due to his vocals being recorded years prior.
"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Kanye West and Jay-Z, from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). Additional vocals are provided by Swizz Beatz and Acapella Soul, and Swizz Beatz also produced the song. It plays an interlude afterwards that samples "Tristessa" by Orchestra Njervudarov. The song was praised by music critics, with Jay-Z usually pointed out as the main star. Rolling Stone listed it as the 20th best song of 2011.
"God Breathed" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released on his tenth studio album Donda on August 29, 2021. The song features vocals from American rapper Vory.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)