This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view .(September 2022) |
"Us Placers" | |
---|---|
Song by Child Rebel Soldier | |
from the album Can't Tell Me Nothing | |
Released | May 27, 2007 |
Recorded | 2007 |
Genre | Hip hop |
Length | 3:53 |
Label | 1st & 15th, GOOD, Star Trak |
Songwriter(s) | Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Thom Yorke |
Producer(s) | Lupe Fiasco |
"Us Placers" is the debut song by American supergroup Child Rebel Soldier, a musical collaboration consisting of American hip-hop artists Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams. [1] It was released as the third song on the track-listing of West's 2007 mixtape Can't Tell Me Nothing . The song was produced by Fiasco and samples the 2006 song "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke. [2] On "Us Placers," the trio speak on the entrapments of fame. Having been released on a free mixtape, the song did not enter charts but became an online hit and received strong reviews from music critics. [3]
"Us Placers" was produced by Lupe Fiasco, who initially crafted the song for inclusion within his own mixtape. His intention was to create a mashup mixtape of the same name, a hip-hop remake of English alternative rock musician Thom Yorke's 2006 solo album The Eraser , along with a few Radiohead songs. Fiasco originally wanted Kanye West, who also deeply enjoyed Yorke's album, and English hip-hop group the Streets to appear on the track. [2] [4] However, the Streets failed to respond while West sent the song over to Pharrell Williams after laying down a verse. The three enjoyed the collaboration so much that they decided to form their very own group. It was Williams who came up with their name, Child Rebel Soldier. [2] [5] According to Fiasco, "It was Pharrell's idea one day in the studio 'cause we're all similar, same likes and same dislikes, same goals and aspirations." [6] Early track listings for West's third studio album Graduation indicated that he intended to feature the group's song on his album, but it was subsequently not included. [7]
"Us Placers" is an up-tempo hip-hop song. It is set in the time signature of common time with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute.[ citation needed ] The song contains samples of Thom Yorke's 2006 song "The Eraser", incorporating its piano loops and a portion of Yorke's vocals for its chorus. It begins with a medium tempo followed by a hesitant piano melody, with Fiasco uttering, "Yeah, just a lil' bit, just a lil' bit. And it goes..." Fiasco, West and Williams, listed in order of appearance, then rap the song's three verses over a sparse, pulsating beat. [8] Each verse is organized around a chorus that is provided by the melodic vocal sample. [9] The chorus is coupled with a harmonic hook delivered by Fiasco, whose vocals implement overdubbing. During the chorus, the song's chord progression changes to and takes on a more moody, atmospheric sound. [10] The song ends with an echoing reiteration of its piano keys.
Lyrically, "Us Placers" is a meditation on the perils of fame. [9] [11] Fiasco's verse depicts the over-indulgent lifestyles of rich and famous celebrities. [11] In a stoic voice, he rapidly raps an extensive list of materialistic possessions, including a large mansion, a wardrobe full of exorbitant clothes, Mexican floral arrangers, a big-screen television, and a fifty-foot yacht. [11] Fiasco brings his verse to a close by making a declaration regarding the emptiness of opulence. [9] West uses his verse to expound the ephemerality of fame. [12] Citing aspiring participants of reality television programs such as The Real World and American Idol and internet celebrities as examples, he implies the fate of those who become instantly famous if only for a short time, in that once their fifteen minutes of fame are over, they then fade away into obscurity, possibly never to enter the public eye ever again. [11] Williams takes a more stream-of-consciousness approach to his verse. He swiftly touches on a series of social issues ranging from greenhouse gases, drug dealers, the will God and troubled youth. [8] Williams concludes his verse by exposing the motive behind the Virginia Tech shooting. He states the irony of the suicidal shooter, in that he finally achieved the fame and recognition he sought in life, but is not alive to see it. [11] After each verse, Yorke's melodious vocals sing a mournful yet defiant chorus that complements the song's concept of the sisyphean pursuit of fame: "The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear." [8]
"Us Placers" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from music critics and was widely regarded as the highlight of the Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. Rolling Stone not only cited the song as the best track on the mixtape but also placed it at number forty-three on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. [13] Complimenting the poignant use of the sample as well as the depth of the trio's individual verses, it wrote, "Each brings something wholly new to the other, trading self-effacement and self-possession back and forth until there's no difference between the two. For this 3:53, hip-hop isn't dead, and neither is rock. They're quietly invincible." [8] Thomas Inskeep of Stylus Magazine described "Us Placers" as being both deep and intelligent and praised the dexterity of Williams' verse in particular. [14] Toronto Star columnist John Sakamoto wrote that the recording was a "stunning collaboration." [15] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune stated that the song was brilliant while Entertainment Weekly called it an "instant Internet classic." [16] [17] Luke Lewis of Q Magazine felt it was a shame that "Us Placers" would not be featured on Fiasco's then-forthcoming sophomore album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool , as he believed that the song's guest appearances and lyrical content "all adds up to the most atmospheric, and quietly enthralling, hip-hop track we've heard in a long time." [10] Two years later, while reviewing his Enemy of the State: A Love Story mixtape, Allison Stewart from The Washington Post retrospectively referred to "Us Placers" as "the great '07 track" and commended Fiasco's production of the song." [18] At About.com, "Us Placers" was placed at number thirty-two on their list of the Top 100 Rap Songs of 2007 and later at number eighty-three on their 100 Best Rap Songs of the 2000s. [19] [20]
Though no official music video for "Us Placers" was released, a non-commissioned video was produced by music video director Va$htie. [21] The video features then-ten-year-old child impersonators standing in for Fiasco, West, Williams and Yorke. They lip-sync to and illustrate the song's lyrics and hold up cue cards in reference to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". [22] Despite its "zero-budget," unofficial nature, the music video was very well received, garnering well over two million views on YouTube alone. It has since gone on to have caught the attention of West, who expressed his affinity by posting the video up on his official blog. [23]
Fiasco performed "Us Placers" on August 5, 2007 during his set at Lollapalooza, to the delight of the largely alternative rock audience. [24]
Lasers is the third studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on March 7, 2011 by Atlantic Records. Production for the album took place between 2008 and 2010. Lasers features production by The Audibles, The Neptunes, Needlz, Alex da Kid, Syience, and long-time collaborator Soundtrakk, among others. Trey Songz, John Legend, Skylar Grey, Sway, Matt Mahaffey, MDMA, Eric Turner and Sarah Green contribute vocals to the album.
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Fiasco was the chief executive officer of 1st and 15th Entertainment.
"Touch the Sky" is a song recorded by American hip hop artist Kanye West for his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song features Lupe Fiasco on his career debut. It was produced by Just Blaze, standing as the album's only track to not include production from West. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital EP through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam on January 1, 2006. On February 14, the aforementioned labels serviced the song to US mainstream radio stations as the album's fourth single. The next month, it was released in various countries for digital download by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam and as a CD single through Universal Music, respectively.
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor is the debut studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on September 19, 2006, on 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, Craig Kallman, Prolyfic, Needlz, Soundtrakk, and Brandon Howard. Jay-Z, Chill, and Fiasco himself are credited as the executive producers for the album. Songs on the record discuss poverty, Islam, terrorism, racism, and individuality.
"Daydreamin'" is the third single taken from Lupe Fiasco's album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006) and features soul singer Jill Scott. The song won Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, earning Fiasco his first Grammy and Scott's third.
"Wouldn't Get Far" is the third single from The Game's second album Doctor's Advocate. The song, produced by and featuring Kanye West, is about The Game mentioning and criticizing, by both name and alias, up-and-coming and established video vixens, models and actresses. The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached numbers 11 and 26 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts respectively.
American rapper Lupe Fiasco has released eight studio albums, six mixtapes, seven soundtrack albums, 38 singles, and 37 music videos.
Child Rebel Soldier, shortened CRS, was an American hip hop supergroup composed of hip hop recording artists and record producers Lupe Fiasco (child), Kanye West (rebel), and Pharrell Williams (soldier).
"Superstar" is a song performed by rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos. It is the first single off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. iTunes released "Superstar" on September 25, 2007 along with a radio version of "Dumb It Down."
"Everyone Nose " is a song by American band N.E.R.D. It is the lead single from their third studio album Seeing Sounds and was released on May 13, 2008. Lyrically, the song delves into the issue of women socially snorting cocaine in bathrooms. The song was accompanied by music video, which was directed by Diane Martel. A video for the remix of the song featuring Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pusha T of Clipse was also filmed and directed by Hype Williams.
"Pro Nails" is the second single by American hip hop artist Kid Sister from her debut album Ultraviolet. The song is better known for its remix, which features a verse by Kanye West. The single was originally released in 2007 and reissued in 2008.
"Go Hard" is the second single from DJ Khaled's third studio album, We Global. The hip-hop track features American rappers Kanye West and T-Pain and their trademark auto-tune effect. The song is produced by The Runners and it samples Madonna's 1985 song "Angel". It first charted on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip Hop chart on December 4, 2008, debuting at number 25, where it peaked at number 15, and charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs debuting at number 85 and then rising to number 53. It also debuted at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same week the album We Global was released due to digital downloads, also at number 19 on the Hot Rap Tracks.
Can't Tell Me Nothing: The Official Mixtape is a mixtape by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was made freely available over the internet on May 27, 2007, in anticipation of the release of his third studio album, Graduation.
"Erase Me" is a song by American musician Kid Cudi, released August 17, 2010, as the lead single from his second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). It features a guest appearance by his mentor, fellow American rapper Kanye West, and was produced by Jim Jonsin. The song proved to be another hit single for Cudi, with the song reaching the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Brandun DeShay, stylized as brandUn DeShay, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He produced for all of his releases. Aside from his solo career, DeShay was an early member of the Los Angeles-based hip hop collective Odd Future.
GOOD Fridays was a weekly free music release by rapper Kanye West, launched in support of his fifth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The original intention was to release a free new song every Friday for a few months to promote his album, and the weekly tracks generally featured various rappers from his label, GOOD Music, and other artists he usually collaborated with. All of the GOOD Friday tracks come with their own cover art. West initially announced that the free music program releases songs from August 20, 2010, to Christmas 2010. However at the beginning of November, West announced that he was extending GOOD Fridays until the end of January. 15 GOOD Friday tracks have been released through the program and three tracks appeared on West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. West described the series as "an exercise in the power of art."
Daniel Dwayne "Diggy" Simmons III is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actor and the fourth child of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons of Run DMC. He is currently acting on the hit show Grown-ish as Doug Edwards, a student at Cal U. He, along with his parents and five siblings, were the primary subjects of the MTV reality television show Run's House. Diggy was also the youngest member of Lupe Fiasco's short-lived rap collective, All City Chess Club.
"Poor Decisions" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Wale, released as the first single from the Maybach Music Group (MMG) compilation album, Self Made Vol. 3. The song features fellow American rappers Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco, the former of whom being the founder of MMG. The song peaked on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles at number nine.
Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper and singer. He was a member of the group Kids These Days, which broke up in May 2013, after which he released his debut solo mixtape Innanetape. He is currently signed to Roc Nation.
MTV's Hottest MCs in the Game is a list compiled of ten Hip hop artists deemed to be the "hottest" of that given year by MTV since 2007. Although MTV has stressed that the list is not meant to represent the greatest rappers of all time but the most interesting and culturally relevant artists of that year, the list is met with much controversy and debate each year. MTV named one rapper the "Hottest Breakthrough MC" of 2011 and that honor went to Machine Gun Kelly. Kanye West currently holds the record for most appearances on the list, being the only rapper to appear on the list every year since its inception.