Illest Motherfucker Alive
Jay-Z Kanye West Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uh-oh, damn, uh-oh
1985 white Lamborghini Countach, two of 'em

I need a slow motion video right now
'Cause I'm movin' in slow motion, slow motion
Feelin' like Hype Williams shootin' a nigga
Shootin' a nigga, hey, hey, hey
I need a slow motion video right now, ayy, ayy

Damn, baby, pussy can't be your only hustle
Unless you bad as Naomi Russell
I mean a lot of niggas got money
So basically, Russell ain't the only Russell
Russell Brand, Russell Crowe
Zero, zero, zero, zero, a whole lot of Os
What you after, actor money?
You in line behind currency, yeah, you after money
Bulletproof condom when I'm in these hoes
Got staples on my dick, why? Fuckin' centerfolds
And I swear to God they so cold
Got a nigga in Miami wearing winter clothes
I got my fur on, feelin' like Jerome
She got her fur too, we get our his and her on
Don't look at the jewelry, or get your blur on
Too close to comatose, so dope, you overdose
Get back, you overclose, oh no
Whole hood loved son and then I blessed 'em with that Polo
Niggas was making music and then my first solo
Collo Drolo, sponsored by Manolo
She got Zeppi Notos ready for some photos
Yeah, and I'm cold, bitch, please try to keep the door closed
Lanvin thousand-dollar tee with no logos
Let me show you what I see when my eyes closed

Take it how you want 'til a nigga dead
'Til then, I'm the illest motherfucker alive
Yeah, yeah, uh-huh
Whole world aiming at a nigga head
Because I'm the illest motherfucker alive
Yeah, yeah, uh-huh, hol' up

King Hov, I'm exactly what the fuck you think
Eleven in a row, Bill Russell rings
Michael Jordan swag, y'all think Michael Jordan bad
Nigga, I got five more rings than Michael Jordan had
Elvis has left the building, now I'm on the Beatles ass
Niggas hear Watch the Throne, yeah, it's like the Beatles back
Bey-Bey my Yoko Ono, Rih Rih complete the family
Imagine how that's gon' look front row at the Grammys
Fuck your awards like Eddie Murphy's couch
The Roc is in the building, we should have stayed in the house
I don't even know what we doing here
Seems to me a complete waste of gear
Just a fuckin' waste of time, a complete waste of bottles
Niggas' fashion is weak, they be wastin' all the models
Got the oversized Rollie, let me show thee how to do it
When I say it then you see it, it ain't only in the music
Basquiats, Warhols, serving as my muses
My house like a museum so I see 'em when I'm peeing
Usually you have this much taste, you European
That's the end of that way of thinking, nigga, never again
Know when to leave when the heat is coming, I learnt that
This is where DeNiro would be if he ain't turn back
Fuck Sosa, this Hova, this is real life
This is what the ending of Scarface should feel like

I need a slow motion video right now
'Cause I'm movin' in slow motion, slow motion (I'm moving in slow motion, slow motion)
Feelin' like Hype Williams shootin' a nigga (I'm moving in slow motion, slow motion)
Shootin' a nigga, hey, hey, hey (I'm moving in slow motion, slow motion)




I need a slow motion video right now (I'm moving in slow motion, slow motion)
Ayy, ayy (I'm moving in slow motion, slow motion)

Overall Meaning

In "Illest Motherfucker Alive," Jay-Z and Kanye West boast about their wealth and success, comparing themselves to legendary figures like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and the Beatles. The opening lines describe the rappers' luxury cars and their desire to capture their lavish lifestyle in a slow-motion video, which would emulate the style of famous director Hype Williams. The song also includes references to adult film actress Naomi Russell, Russell Brand, and Russell Crowe, as well as a graphic line about using a bulletproof condom.


Throughout the song, Jay-Z and West emphasize their dominance in the music industry and the fashion world, taking shots at their competition and showing off their extravagant taste. They compare themselves to iconic paintings by artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, and Kanye even states that his home is like a museum. They also express their frustration with awards shows and the fashion industry's lack of creativity. The song ends on a triumphant note, with the rappers proclaiming themselves the "illest motherfuckers alive."


Line by Line Meaning

1985 white Lamborghini countach, two of 'em
I have two white Lamborghini Countachs from 1985 and I'm proud of them.


I need a slow motion video right now Cause I'm moving in slow motion, slow motion Feelin' like Hype Williams shooting a nigga Shooting a nigga, hey hey hey I need a slow motion video right now ay ay
I feel like I'm in a movie right now, moving slowly and I would love a slow-motion video of myself to capture this moment.


Damn baby pussy can't be your only hustle Unless you bad as Naomi Russell I mean a lot of niggas got money So basically, Russell ain't the only Russell Russell brand, Russell crow Zero zero zero zero, a whole lot of 0's What you after, actor money? You in line behind currency, yeah you after money
You can't rely solely on your looks to make money unless you're as successful as Naomi Russell, who has plenty of money. A lot of people have money, so just having a famous name like Russell (Russell Brand, Russell Crowe) isn't enough. You should be focused on making real money, not just actor money.


Bullet proof condom when I'm in these hoes Got staples on my dick (why?) Fuckin' centerfolds And I swear to god they so cold Got a nigga in Miami wearing winter clothes I got my fur on feelin' like Jerome She got her fur too, we get our his and her on Don't look at the jewelry, or get your blur on Too close, you comatose so dope you overdose Get back, you over close Oh no, the hood was strugglin' But then I blessed them with that polo Niggas was making music and then my first solo Collo Drolo sponsored by Manolo She got Zeppi Notos ready for some photos Yeah and I'm cold bitch, please try to keep the door closed Lanvin thousand dollar tee with no logos Let me show you what I see when my eyes closed
I use protection when I have sex and have slept with many famous centerfolds who are cold-hearted. I even got a guy in Miami to wear winter clothes because he's so cold. I wear fur and feel like the character Jerome. My partner and I match in nice fur coats. Don't get too close and blinded by our jewelry. Our success came from hardships in our hood. I promoted my own brand, Collo Drolo, and got a sponsorship from Manolo, the famous shoe brand. My partner is ready to take pictures in her Zeppi Notos. I'm cold and want you to keep the door closed. I wear a thousand dollar tee from Lanvin, with no logos. Let me share my vision with you.


Take it how you want til a nigga dead ('Til then I'm the illest motherfucer alive) Whole world aiming at a nigga head (Because I'm the illest motherfucker alive)
People can think what they want about me until I die, but until then I'm the best. The whole world is targeting me because they see me as the best.


Yeah yeah uh huh hold up King Hov, I'm exactly what the fuck you think Eleven in a row, Bill Russell rings, Michael Jordan swag Y'all think Michael Jordan bad Nigga I got a 5 more rings than Michael Jordan had Elvis has left the building now I'm on the Beatles ass Niggas hear watch the throne Yeah it's like the Beatles back Bey' Bey' my yoko ono, Rih' Rih' complete the family Imagine how that's gon' look front row at the Grammys Fuck your awards like Eddie Morphy's couch The Roc is in the building we should have stayed in the house I don't even know what we doing here Seems to me a complete waste of gear Just a fuckin' waste of time, a complete waste of bottles Niggas fashion is weak, they be wastin' all the models Got the oversized Rolley let me show the how to do it When I say it then you see, it ain't only in the music Basquiats, Warhols serving as my muses My house like a museum, so I see 'em when I'm peeing Usually you have this much taste you European That's the end of that way of thinking, nigga never again Know when to leave when the heat is coming, I learned that This is where De Niro would be if he ain't turn back Fuck Sosa, this Hova this is real life This is what the ending of Scarface should feel like
I'm confident in myself and have accomplished a lot more than Michael Jordan. I'm like the new Beatles and have a strong, influential family including Beyonce and Rihanna. I don't think awards matter and the fashion world is weak. I have a lot of artwork including Basquiats and Warhols in my house. European people usually have such good taste. I've changed my way of thinking and learned to leave when there's danger. This is where De Niro would be if he didn't turn back. I'm better than Sosa, and this is what the ending of Scarface should feel like.




Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Joshua Luellen, Scott Mescudi

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@thomasnelson5758

Co-producer Southside on Kanye's contributions to the beat in an interview with Respect Magazine:

"Q: I immediately recognized your drums on that beat, like the snare. How much of the record is your original beat, and what did Kanye add?

A: Kanye added mostly all the synths. I did the drums, the snares, the hi-hat, and the breakdowns. Basically I added the drums, and he put his Kanye classical, musical space-synth stuff to it.

Q: Yeah, the opera.

A: Yeah, the opera. You know how Kanye is. He go crazy with stuff like that. It’s like he sees a movie in his head or something."



All comments from YouTube:

@giovannimacdermott3030

Lowkey the best song on the album imo. Never get tired of it.

@slater3607

You my friend have good taste

@black914015678

This song is gold!!!!

@Svidrigailov1

This song is a beautiful ego trip. Gets me pumped

@eazyE93

Well said

@ihaveautism666

Ego trip, I like that

@ihaveautism666

@Clutch7 my ego has never lead me wrong my ego is my strength and power

@alanparsons994

There is a Finnish pop band "Egotrippi" which means ego trip ;)

@dedetmt2535

One of my max out songs lol

1 More Replies...

@BEFORETHEMHYPEBEASTS

probably the greatest collab album of all time.

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