West's second and third studio albums, Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007), both debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, with the latter becoming his most commercially successful to date. Three of his subsequent albums—808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and The Life of Pablo (2016)—were certified triple platinum, while Yeezus (2013) was certified double platinum. Although not as well-received critically as his previous works, Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda (2021) continued West's streak of consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200. West has also released collaborative albums including Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z, Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi, and Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, and Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.
One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, the joint 11th-most of all time and the most awarded for any hip hop artist along with Jay-Z. His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. West holds the joint record with Bob Dylan for most albums (four) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. West's first six solo albums were included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media, at award shows, and in public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated for a consistent life ethic. In October 2022, he was widely condemned and lost many sponsors and partnerships, including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga, after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust.
Heard 'em Say
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh, yeah, uh, yeah, uh, yeah
And I heard 'em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
From the Chi, like Tim it's a harder way
So this is in the name of love like Robert say
Before you ask me to go get a job today
Can I at least get a raise of the minimum wage?
So I guess we just pray like the minister say
Allahu Akbar and throw in some hot cars
The things we seen on the screen that's not ours
But these niggas from the hood so these dreams not far
Where I'm from, the dope boys is the rock stars
But they can't cop cars without seein' cop cars
I guess they want us all behind bars, I know it
Uh, and I heard 'em say (ooh)
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And I heard 'em say
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
But we'll find a way
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way
They say people in your life are seasons
And anything that happen is for a reason
And niggas gun clappin' and keep to squeezin'
And gran' keep prayin' and keep believin'
In Jesus, and one day that you see him
'Til then walk in his footsteps and try to be him
The Devil is alive, I feel him breathin'
Claimin' money is the key so keep on dreamin'
And put those lottery tickets just to tease us
My aunt Pam can't put those cigarettes down
So now my lil' cousin smokin' them cigarettes now
His job trying to claim that he too nigger-ish now
Is it 'cause his skin blacker than licorice now?
I can't figure it out, I'm sick of it now, uh, uh
And I heard 'em say (ooh)
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And I heard 'em say
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
But we'll find a way
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way
with every worthless word we got more far away
And nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
In "Heard 'em Say," Kanye West reflects on the hardships of growing up in Chicago, where it's a struggle to make it out of poverty. He acknowledges that life is unpredictable and that the future is uncertain, but he remains optimistic in the face of adversity. Kanye compares his journey to that of Tim, a local hero from his hometown, who paved the way for others despite the odds against him. The song is a tribute to perseverance despite the obstacles thrown in one's path.
In the second verse, Kanye addresses social issues, specifically the discrimination faced by Black people in America. He speaks out against systemic racism, the criminalization of Black youth, and the beliefs held by some that money is the key to happiness. Kanye also condemns government policies that he believes contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Throughout the song, he interweaves references to faith, family, and the pursuit of one's dreams. "Heard 'em Say" is a powerful reflection of one man's experience growing up in the inner city and the challenges he faced along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
And I heard 'em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
The people around me say that there is no guarantee for tomorrow.
From the Chi, like Tim it's a harder way
Chicago is a difficult place to live, like the rapper Tim.
So this is in the name of love like Robert say
I am doing what I do out of love, like how singer Robert did.
Before you ask me to go get a job today
Don't ask me to get a job immediately.
Can I at least get a raise of the minimum wage?
Can I at least earn a little more money than what's minimal?
And I know the government administer AIDS
I believe that the government is responsible for the spread of AIDS.
So I guess we just pray like the minister say
The only thing we can do is pray, like the minister encourages.
Allahu Akbar and throw in some hot cars
God is great and we'll add some fancy cars to the mix.
The things we seen on the screen that's not ours
We watch things on TV that we can't afford ourselves.
But these niggas from the hood so these dreams not far
But since we're from the same neighborhood, these dreams aren't impossible.
Where I'm from, the dope boys is the rock stars
In my neighborhood, drug dealers are seen as celebrities.
But they can't cop cars without seein' cop cars
But they can't buy nice cars without attracting attention from the police.
I guess they want us all behind bars, I know it
I'm pretty sure the government wants to lock us all up.
And I heard 'em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
Once again, I hear people saying that nothing is guaranteed for tomorrow.
But we'll find a way
Despite this, we will figure things out.
They say people in your life are seasons
People come into your life for a certain period of time.
And anything that happen is for a reason
Everything that happens to you has a purpose behind it.
And niggas gun clappin' and keep to squeezin
People are shooting guns and not stopping.
And gran' keep prayin' and keep believin'
My grandmother keeps praying and having faith.
In Jesus, and one day that you see him
She believes in Jesus and believes she will meet him one day.
'Til then walk in his footsteps and try to be him
Until then, she will try to live the way Jesus did and be like him.
The Devil is alive, I feel him breathin'
I believe the devil is real and feel his presence around me.
Claimin' money is the key so keep on dreamin'
People believe that money is the solution to their problems, but it's just a dream.
And put those lottery tickets just to tease us
The lottery is just a tease to people who can't afford to play it.
My aunt Pam can't put those cigarettes down
My Aunt Pam is addicted to cigarettes.
So now my lil' cousin smokin' them cigarettes now
As a result, my young cousin is now smoking too.
His job tryna claim that he too nigger-ish now
His employer is discriminating against him because he's black.
Is it 'cause his skin blacker than licorice now?
Is it because his skin is darker than normal?
I can't figure it out, I'm sick of it now, uh, uh
I don't understand it and I've had enough.
With every worthless word we get more far away
Every useless conversation pushes us further apart.
And nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And once again, nothing is guaranteed for tomorrow.
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
Everything is temporary, but always be truthful, my love.
It hurts but it may be the only way
It may be painful, but it could be the only solution.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Adam Levine, Michael Masser, Kanye West
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@micheledaly3369
This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The lyrics,beat, melody rapping,singing .perfect harmony.The old Mr West is in a class by itself.
@laithjabbar8147
So beautiful bro. Really brings a tear to the heart... that deep!
@mintymojito9057
He still is
@somerage7110
@@mintymojito9057 facts
@micheledaly5823
@@mintymojito9057 I disagree.His first 5 albums were masterpieces.Now I don't pick up what he's putting down.I still listen to the old Mr.West tho.classic.
@Chiquitito1201
@@micheledaly5823 I respectfully disagree
@quasimoto7767
Nobody gonna bring up adam Levine's contribution to this song, he sounds like an angel in here
@vVincent.
true, shit sounds angelic af and I dont even like M5
@stevensonjc21
ANGELIC AF
@alphalax7747
He's a new angel