Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), profession… Read Full Bio ↴Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known as Kanye West, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, director, performance artist and fashion designer.
West began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, when he formed the rap group Go Getters with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity through his work in New York, where he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.
West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was The Truth by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was This Can’t Be Life, a track from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre’s Xxplosive to use as a replacement for his drums on This Can’t Be Life.
West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said Kanye West: “Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time… We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.”
In 2004 (after being pushed aside by many record companies who felt he wasn't a marketable hip-hop artist), he managed to release his debut solo album, The College Dropout on Roc-A-Fella Records. The album received critical acclaim, including 10 Grammy nominations and the awards for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, as well as defining the style for which West would become known: "wordplay" and heavy sampling of the 70s soul and RnB tracks.
Not content to rest on his laurels, West invested two million dollars and hired a string orchestra to help with his latest effort, Late Registration (2005). West collaborated with Jon Brion to help develop the sound of the album, despite his lack of experience in hip hop production. The album received widespread acclaim like its predecessor and again claimed the Best Rap Album award at the Grammys.
West was no stranger to controversy, such as storming out at the 2004 American Music Awards after not receiving Best New Artist, but just days after the release of his second studio album, West began embroiled in a major controversy after going off-script during Hurricane Katrina broadcast, proclaiming "George Bush doesn't care about black people", which Bush claimed was "one the most disgusting moments of my presidency". In January 2006, West posed on the cover of Rolling Stone wearing a crown of thorns, once again attracting controversy.
For his third release, West was keen to produce songs that could be used more effectively when performing in arenas. For Graduation, the third and ultimately final entry into his 'Dropout Bear' series, West drew musical inspiration from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. In the lead up to the album he became involved in a friendly rivalry with 50 Cent over which of the two artists' upcoming albums would sell more, as they were both released on the same day. West ultimately sold 957,000 copies in the first week of release, outselling Curtis by a large margin. The albums lead single "Stronger" sampled Daft Punk, and was West's third number one on Billboard 200. Many proclaim West's 'victory' over 50 Cent to be the 'death' of gangster rap as the dominant hip hop subgenre.
Following the death of his mother, Donda West, and the end of his engagement to long term partner Alexis Phifer, West abandoned his initial plan to release a fourth album entitled Good Ass Job, and shocked his fans by releasing 808s and Heartbreak, which was full of autotune singing, extensive use of the TR-808 drum machine, themes of love, loss and loneliness and very little rapping. It received slightly more mixed reviews than his previous efforts, but many critics cite 808s and Heartbreak as the catalyst for a new wave of rappers, most prominently Drake, due to its themes which were uncommon in mainstream hip-hop.
West's grief seemed to lead to a spiral out of control which culminated in him storming on stage at the 2009 VMAs to interrupt Taylor Swift's award acceptance speech to proclaim that Beyoncé deserved the award instead, in a move that is infamous in pop culture and was vilified by the entire world in the aftermath. West disappeared from the public eye following this, and his upcoming tour with Lady Gaga was cancelled. The disgraced West, who was described as a 'jackass' by President Obama, seemed to have much work to do to return to the his former glory, but he was about to embark on what some critics consider to be the best run of his career.
West holed up in Hawaii for a few months and worked tirelessly to produce what many consider to be his magnum opus. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010 to rave reviews from critics, which solidified his comeback. In stark contrast to his previous effort, which featured a minimalist sound, Dark Fantasy adopts a maximalist philosophy and deals with themes of celebrity and excess. The record included the international hit All of the Lights, and Billboard hits Power, Monster, and Runaway, the latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name. During this time, West initiated the free music program G.O.O.D. Fridays through his website, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday of the week, a portion of which were included on the album. Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States, but its omission as a contender for Album of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards was viewed as a "snub" by several media outlets.
Following a headlining set at Coachella 2011 that was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time," West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z. By employing a sales strategy that released the album digitally weeks before its physical counterpart, Watch the Throne became one of the few major label albums in the Internet age to avoid a leak. Niggas in Paris became the record's highest charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: Mercy and Clique. West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens.
Sessions for West's sixth solo effort begin to take shape in early 2013 in his own personal loft's living room at a Paris hotel. Determined to "undermine the commercial," he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house, and industrial music. Primarily inspired by architecture, West's perfectionist tendencies led him to contact producer Rick Rubin fifteen days shy of its due date to strip down the record's sound in favor of a more minimalist approach. Initial promotion of his sixth album included worldwide video projections of the album's music and live television performances.
Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013 to rave reviews from critics. It became the rapper's sixth consecutive number one debut. Def Jam issued "Black Skinhead" to radio in July 2013 as the album's lead single. On September 6, 2013, Kanye West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, accompanying him along the way.
In November 2013, West stated that he was working on and recording his next studio album. The album was to be produced by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.. Kanye released a single entitled "Only One", on December 31, 2014 featuring Paul McCartney, as well as collaborating with McCartney on the Rihanna track " FourFiveSeconds", released in January 2015. West appeared on the SNL 40th Anniversary Special on February 15th 2015 to debut a new song Wolves, featuring Sia Furler and Vic Mensa. Another single, entitled "All Day" was released on March 2, 2015, again featuring McCartney as well as Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom. In June of the same year, Kanye headlined the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, which garnered much outrage including a petition with 135,000 signatures against his appearance, leading to West declaring he was "the greatest living rock star on the planet" towards the end of his set, and the performance receiving a mixed reaction among fans and critics, due to its controversy. In September 2015, West performed {album artist kanye west]808s and Heartbreak in its entirety at the Hollywood Bowl over two nights, which received rave reviews a featured a 60 person orchestra, guests such as Kid Cudi and Mr Hudson, and over 70 dancers. West released "Facts" at the turn of the new year.
West had originally stated that his upcoming album would be called 'So Help Me God' before changing the title to 'SWISH' and announcing that it would be released on February 11th. In January 2016 he released "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in LA", featuring Kendrick Lamar. As well as renaming the album once again to "Waves", West became involved in several twitter controversies in the lead up to the album, including with rapper Wiz Khalifa after he suggested that West had stolen the idea of the wave from other artists and seemingly dissed Kim Kardashian, which later turned out to be a misunderstanding over the use of "KK". West again changed the name of the album just days before it's release, this time to "{album artist=kanye west]The Life of Pablo", and debuted it at Madison Square Garden on February 11, but delayed it's release for a few days. On February 14, West released the album are a performance on SNL. West initially claimed the album was to be a Tidal exclusive, but it was later released on other streaming platforms, although it is yet to receive a physical release. West continued to tinker with the mixing and production of the album even after it was released, and it was updated several times, including the final song "Saint Pablo" in June 2016. West had also made public his plans to release an album in the summer of 2016, entitled "Turbo Grafx 16", based on the 1990s games console, which never surfaced, although he did release a single thought to be from the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music album "Cruel Winter", called Champions. In the same month, a video for "Famous" was released, including nude wax figures of celebrities such as West, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Bill Cosby and George W. Bush.
In August 2016, West embarked on the ambitious Saint Pablo Tour, which included a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling. After the violent robbery of Kim's jewellery in Paris in October, West had to end a show early and postpone shows following it. In the following performances, West cancelled shows early and went on long winded rants against fellow artists such as Jay Z and Beyoncé among others, as well as making controversial political statements including implying his support for Donald Trump. On November 21st 2016, West cancelled the rest of the tour and was hospitalised due to sleep deprivation and extreme dehydration. Following this, West disappeared from social media, and only resurfaced 11 months later with a series of tweets which included many philosophical thoughts and the announcements two albums in June 2018, a solo album which would include 7 tracks on June 1, and a collaboration with Kid Cudi to be released on June 8.
On August 29th, 2021, Kanye released his 10th highly anticipated studio release Donda via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings after a series of three listening parties.
Personal life:
West was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old (as mentioned in Hey Mama) his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther; one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and is now a Christian counselor. Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, worked as a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as Kanye’s manager. He was later raised in an upper middle class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.
After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out due to poor grades and to continue working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists, including on rapper Grav’s debut album Down to Earth. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam’ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also “ghost-produced” for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song Last Call and the credits of Nas’ Poppa Was a Playa.
West was married to Kim Kardashian. Together they had four children: daughters named North (*2013) and Chicago (*2018); and sons named Saint (*2015) and Psalm (*2019). In 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce.
In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that primarily advocated for a consistent life ethic. In 2022, he faced backlash and lost a number of sponsors and partnerships—including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga—after making antisemitic statements.
West began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, when he formed the rap group Go Getters with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity through his work in New York, where he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.
West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was The Truth by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was This Can’t Be Life, a track from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre’s Xxplosive to use as a replacement for his drums on This Can’t Be Life.
West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said Kanye West: “Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time… We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.”
In 2004 (after being pushed aside by many record companies who felt he wasn't a marketable hip-hop artist), he managed to release his debut solo album, The College Dropout on Roc-A-Fella Records. The album received critical acclaim, including 10 Grammy nominations and the awards for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, as well as defining the style for which West would become known: "wordplay" and heavy sampling of the 70s soul and RnB tracks.
Not content to rest on his laurels, West invested two million dollars and hired a string orchestra to help with his latest effort, Late Registration (2005). West collaborated with Jon Brion to help develop the sound of the album, despite his lack of experience in hip hop production. The album received widespread acclaim like its predecessor and again claimed the Best Rap Album award at the Grammys.
West was no stranger to controversy, such as storming out at the 2004 American Music Awards after not receiving Best New Artist, but just days after the release of his second studio album, West began embroiled in a major controversy after going off-script during Hurricane Katrina broadcast, proclaiming "George Bush doesn't care about black people", which Bush claimed was "one the most disgusting moments of my presidency". In January 2006, West posed on the cover of Rolling Stone wearing a crown of thorns, once again attracting controversy.
For his third release, West was keen to produce songs that could be used more effectively when performing in arenas. For Graduation, the third and ultimately final entry into his 'Dropout Bear' series, West drew musical inspiration from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. In the lead up to the album he became involved in a friendly rivalry with 50 Cent over which of the two artists' upcoming albums would sell more, as they were both released on the same day. West ultimately sold 957,000 copies in the first week of release, outselling Curtis by a large margin. The albums lead single "Stronger" sampled Daft Punk, and was West's third number one on Billboard 200. Many proclaim West's 'victory' over 50 Cent to be the 'death' of gangster rap as the dominant hip hop subgenre.
Following the death of his mother, Donda West, and the end of his engagement to long term partner Alexis Phifer, West abandoned his initial plan to release a fourth album entitled Good Ass Job, and shocked his fans by releasing 808s and Heartbreak, which was full of autotune singing, extensive use of the TR-808 drum machine, themes of love, loss and loneliness and very little rapping. It received slightly more mixed reviews than his previous efforts, but many critics cite 808s and Heartbreak as the catalyst for a new wave of rappers, most prominently Drake, due to its themes which were uncommon in mainstream hip-hop.
West's grief seemed to lead to a spiral out of control which culminated in him storming on stage at the 2009 VMAs to interrupt Taylor Swift's award acceptance speech to proclaim that Beyoncé deserved the award instead, in a move that is infamous in pop culture and was vilified by the entire world in the aftermath. West disappeared from the public eye following this, and his upcoming tour with Lady Gaga was cancelled. The disgraced West, who was described as a 'jackass' by President Obama, seemed to have much work to do to return to the his former glory, but he was about to embark on what some critics consider to be the best run of his career.
West holed up in Hawaii for a few months and worked tirelessly to produce what many consider to be his magnum opus. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010 to rave reviews from critics, which solidified his comeback. In stark contrast to his previous effort, which featured a minimalist sound, Dark Fantasy adopts a maximalist philosophy and deals with themes of celebrity and excess. The record included the international hit All of the Lights, and Billboard hits Power, Monster, and Runaway, the latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name. During this time, West initiated the free music program G.O.O.D. Fridays through his website, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday of the week, a portion of which were included on the album. Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States, but its omission as a contender for Album of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards was viewed as a "snub" by several media outlets.
Following a headlining set at Coachella 2011 that was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time," West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z. By employing a sales strategy that released the album digitally weeks before its physical counterpart, Watch the Throne became one of the few major label albums in the Internet age to avoid a leak. Niggas in Paris became the record's highest charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: Mercy and Clique. West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens.
Sessions for West's sixth solo effort begin to take shape in early 2013 in his own personal loft's living room at a Paris hotel. Determined to "undermine the commercial," he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house, and industrial music. Primarily inspired by architecture, West's perfectionist tendencies led him to contact producer Rick Rubin fifteen days shy of its due date to strip down the record's sound in favor of a more minimalist approach. Initial promotion of his sixth album included worldwide video projections of the album's music and live television performances.
Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013 to rave reviews from critics. It became the rapper's sixth consecutive number one debut. Def Jam issued "Black Skinhead" to radio in July 2013 as the album's lead single. On September 6, 2013, Kanye West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, accompanying him along the way.
In November 2013, West stated that he was working on and recording his next studio album. The album was to be produced by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.. Kanye released a single entitled "Only One", on December 31, 2014 featuring Paul McCartney, as well as collaborating with McCartney on the Rihanna track " FourFiveSeconds", released in January 2015. West appeared on the SNL 40th Anniversary Special on February 15th 2015 to debut a new song Wolves, featuring Sia Furler and Vic Mensa. Another single, entitled "All Day" was released on March 2, 2015, again featuring McCartney as well as Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom. In June of the same year, Kanye headlined the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, which garnered much outrage including a petition with 135,000 signatures against his appearance, leading to West declaring he was "the greatest living rock star on the planet" towards the end of his set, and the performance receiving a mixed reaction among fans and critics, due to its controversy. In September 2015, West performed {album artist kanye west]808s and Heartbreak in its entirety at the Hollywood Bowl over two nights, which received rave reviews a featured a 60 person orchestra, guests such as Kid Cudi and Mr Hudson, and over 70 dancers. West released "Facts" at the turn of the new year.
West had originally stated that his upcoming album would be called 'So Help Me God' before changing the title to 'SWISH' and announcing that it would be released on February 11th. In January 2016 he released "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in LA", featuring Kendrick Lamar. As well as renaming the album once again to "Waves", West became involved in several twitter controversies in the lead up to the album, including with rapper Wiz Khalifa after he suggested that West had stolen the idea of the wave from other artists and seemingly dissed Kim Kardashian, which later turned out to be a misunderstanding over the use of "KK". West again changed the name of the album just days before it's release, this time to "{album artist=kanye west]The Life of Pablo", and debuted it at Madison Square Garden on February 11, but delayed it's release for a few days. On February 14, West released the album are a performance on SNL. West initially claimed the album was to be a Tidal exclusive, but it was later released on other streaming platforms, although it is yet to receive a physical release. West continued to tinker with the mixing and production of the album even after it was released, and it was updated several times, including the final song "Saint Pablo" in June 2016. West had also made public his plans to release an album in the summer of 2016, entitled "Turbo Grafx 16", based on the 1990s games console, which never surfaced, although he did release a single thought to be from the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music album "Cruel Winter", called Champions. In the same month, a video for "Famous" was released, including nude wax figures of celebrities such as West, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Bill Cosby and George W. Bush.
In August 2016, West embarked on the ambitious Saint Pablo Tour, which included a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling. After the violent robbery of Kim's jewellery in Paris in October, West had to end a show early and postpone shows following it. In the following performances, West cancelled shows early and went on long winded rants against fellow artists such as Jay Z and Beyoncé among others, as well as making controversial political statements including implying his support for Donald Trump. On November 21st 2016, West cancelled the rest of the tour and was hospitalised due to sleep deprivation and extreme dehydration. Following this, West disappeared from social media, and only resurfaced 11 months later with a series of tweets which included many philosophical thoughts and the announcements two albums in June 2018, a solo album which would include 7 tracks on June 1, and a collaboration with Kid Cudi to be released on June 8.
On August 29th, 2021, Kanye released his 10th highly anticipated studio release Donda via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings after a series of three listening parties.
Personal life:
West was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old (as mentioned in Hey Mama) his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther; one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and is now a Christian counselor. Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, worked as a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as Kanye’s manager. He was later raised in an upper middle class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.
After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out due to poor grades and to continue working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists, including on rapper Grav’s debut album Down to Earth. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam’ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also “ghost-produced” for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song Last Call and the credits of Nas’ Poppa Was a Playa.
West was married to Kim Kardashian. Together they had four children: daughters named North (*2013) and Chicago (*2018); and sons named Saint (*2015) and Psalm (*2019). In 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce.
In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that primarily advocated for a consistent life ethic. In 2022, he faced backlash and lost a number of sponsors and partnerships—including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga—after making antisemitic statements.
Wack Niggas
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(feat. Talib Kweli, Common, Consequence)
[Somebody Talking]
Yeah
Yo...let me, let me, let me, let me tell you why - why
This nigga...why we dedicated this song to this kind of nigga
Cuz number one, duke is drivin' in the motherfuckin' projects
With a - with a Sebring, and with - with a rag off
Y'na'mean? Y-you not ballin' like that play-boy
Straight up, then the bitch you got playin' shotgun
Like, I used to serve that bitch, c'mon
Really really good, I mean and you gotta shirt and tie
You wack as nigga..
[Common]
Wack niggas...I don't even like to be around 'em
Give 'em dap or pound 'em
See 'em out they houndin' dawg
Singin' they got tracks for me to get down on
Singin' they hot when that shit don't even sound warm
Nigga I'm nasty, my style is sound porn
The graphic exposin' wack asses
I emcee as free as 'Ol Dirty Bastard
You think you Catholic tryin' to appeal to the masses
The Cassius Clay of rap today
Rock a beard like Castaway
You couldn't be dope for even half a day
We keep it hot like its after May
Smoke a nigga then I pass to K
[Kanye West]
The pastor say we goin' to mass today
We have to pray, these niggas is wack 'n' eh
I have to say, since Pac passed away
Most these niggas don't even deserve a track from me
First of all let's get rid of them Louis Vuitton boots
And get yo tall ass out that C Class coupe
Y'see the whiskAY had them girls feelin' friskAY
You was wit mAY (me) she said "Who's the sissAY?"
And even if they did wanna get bizzAY
Freaky like MissAY and roll the weed up
You would roll three blunts and fuck up three blunts
Motherfucka you a fuck up of free lunch, dawg
Just keep it right thurr like ChingAY
Yo girl don't like me how long has shee been gAY
Spanish girls tell ya "No hable ingle"
And everbody wanna run to me for they singlAY (single)
It's funny how these wack niggas need my help
Wasn't around when I couldn't feed myself
Dawg, if I was you I wouldn't feel myself
Dawg, if I was you I'd kill myself
[HOOK - Kanye West (Singing Voice)]
(Wack nigga) Wake up in the morning dawg, and you a
(Wack nigga) I'd kill myself if I was that
(Wack nigga) Everything you wear and rock, is just
(Wack nigga) Even if you flossin' rocks you still
(Wack nigga) You can't do it dawg you's a
(Wack nigga) Bitin' ass, bitch ass, trick ass
(Wack nigga) Even your daughter says "My daddy's a - "
(Wack nigga - You wack nigga!)
[Consequence]
You know you wack when ya dawgs tell you
That's how you know ya flow is weak
Cuz you only got them there to 'Say Yes' like Floetry
The clique that I oversee ain't impressed by ya poetry
You're the place you're supposed to be
You ain't ain't comin' close to me
It ain't that you underrated
It's more thatn you're under dated
And mediocre at best is all the hoes you've ever dated
For all your guest appearances
You couldn't get the clearances
For them it's just a check they don't respect you as a lyricist
Look at what ya lyrics is, Murder, Death, Kill
But you never shot nothin', never have, never will
Better add on to ya skills before you join this round robin
Of super emcees that'll add to ya problems
[Talib Kweli]
In the beginnin', God created man in his own image
I'm 'bout to tell you how the story gon' finish
Kweli handle his business niggas don't forget it
Cuz a wiseman can shoose to get ignorant with it
Na'mean - you all can get it I'm conisdered the nicest
The way I spit it give these niggas all identity crisis
All day talkin' that shit like you hold a gat, right?
The trip you on must be short cuz you pack light - act right
You got it twisted tellin' niggas that you pack heat
You ain't gunning now you runnin' like an athlete
You ballas need to quit rhymin' like Allen Ive
Start speakin' New ?Wopian? and followin' Malachi
Oh, anything would rhyme, you need to sell drugs for real
Instead of on the radio, you'd be dead or in jail
All these thug niggas wanna rap
And all these rap niggas wanna thug
And all ya'll fuckin' the game up
It's time to change up, my lyrics rip ya frame up
Askin' if I'm nice like fuckin' with a chick
Who don't give head - that's a no-brainer
Niggas back bangers you don't even know the names of
I'ma bout to meet my quota you about to meet ya Saviour
You wack nigga, you about to get shot
Fuck with Talib Kweli, that's how you get got
Not that I'm wylin' or even promote violence
It's just you're fuckin' up my high, can a nigga smoke in silence?!
[HOOK]
[Somebody Talking]
Yeah
Yo...let me, let me, let me, let me tell you why - why
This nigga...why we dedicated this song to this kind of nigga
Cuz number one, duke is drivin' in the motherfuckin' projects
With a - with a Sebring, and with - with a rag off
Straight up, then the bitch you got playin' shotgun
Like, I used to serve that bitch, c'mon
Really really good, I mean and you gotta shirt and tie
You wack as nigga..
[Common]
Wack niggas...I don't even like to be around 'em
Give 'em dap or pound 'em
See 'em out they houndin' dawg
Singin' they got tracks for me to get down on
Singin' they hot when that shit don't even sound warm
Nigga I'm nasty, my style is sound porn
The graphic exposin' wack asses
I emcee as free as 'Ol Dirty Bastard
You think you Catholic tryin' to appeal to the masses
The Cassius Clay of rap today
Rock a beard like Castaway
You couldn't be dope for even half a day
We keep it hot like its after May
Smoke a nigga then I pass to K
[Kanye West]
The pastor say we goin' to mass today
We have to pray, these niggas is wack 'n' eh
I have to say, since Pac passed away
Most these niggas don't even deserve a track from me
First of all let's get rid of them Louis Vuitton boots
And get yo tall ass out that C Class coupe
Y'see the whiskAY had them girls feelin' friskAY
You was wit mAY (me) she said "Who's the sissAY?"
And even if they did wanna get bizzAY
Freaky like MissAY and roll the weed up
You would roll three blunts and fuck up three blunts
Motherfucka you a fuck up of free lunch, dawg
Just keep it right thurr like ChingAY
Yo girl don't like me how long has shee been gAY
Spanish girls tell ya "No hable ingle"
And everbody wanna run to me for they singlAY (single)
It's funny how these wack niggas need my help
Wasn't around when I couldn't feed myself
Dawg, if I was you I wouldn't feel myself
Dawg, if I was you I'd kill myself
[HOOK - Kanye West (Singing Voice)]
(Wack nigga) Wake up in the morning dawg, and you a
(Wack nigga) I'd kill myself if I was that
(Wack nigga) Everything you wear and rock, is just
(Wack nigga) Even if you flossin' rocks you still
(Wack nigga) You can't do it dawg you's a
(Wack nigga) Bitin' ass, bitch ass, trick ass
(Wack nigga) Even your daughter says "My daddy's a - "
(Wack nigga - You wack nigga!)
[Consequence]
You know you wack when ya dawgs tell you
That's how you know ya flow is weak
Cuz you only got them there to 'Say Yes' like Floetry
The clique that I oversee ain't impressed by ya poetry
You're the place you're supposed to be
You ain't ain't comin' close to me
It ain't that you underrated
It's more thatn you're under dated
And mediocre at best is all the hoes you've ever dated
For all your guest appearances
You couldn't get the clearances
For them it's just a check they don't respect you as a lyricist
Look at what ya lyrics is, Murder, Death, Kill
But you never shot nothin', never have, never will
Better add on to ya skills before you join this round robin
Of super emcees that'll add to ya problems
[Talib Kweli]
In the beginnin', God created man in his own image
I'm 'bout to tell you how the story gon' finish
Kweli handle his business niggas don't forget it
Cuz a wiseman can shoose to get ignorant with it
Na'mean - you all can get it I'm conisdered the nicest
The way I spit it give these niggas all identity crisis
All day talkin' that shit like you hold a gat, right?
The trip you on must be short cuz you pack light - act right
You got it twisted tellin' niggas that you pack heat
You ain't gunning now you runnin' like an athlete
You ballas need to quit rhymin' like Allen Ive
Start speakin' New ?Wopian? and followin' Malachi
Oh, anything would rhyme, you need to sell drugs for real
Instead of on the radio, you'd be dead or in jail
All these thug niggas wanna rap
And all these rap niggas wanna thug
And all ya'll fuckin' the game up
It's time to change up, my lyrics rip ya frame up
Askin' if I'm nice like fuckin' with a chick
Who don't give head - that's a no-brainer
Niggas back bangers you don't even know the names of
I'ma bout to meet my quota you about to meet ya Saviour
You wack nigga, you about to get shot
Fuck with Talib Kweli, that's how you get got
Not that I'm wylin' or even promote violence
It's just you're fuckin' up my high, can a nigga smoke in silence?!
[HOOK]
The song "Wack Niggas" by Kanye West, featuring Talib Kweli, Common, and Consequence, is a diss track aimed at mediocre and terrible rappers who boast about their wealth and fame despite lacking in talent. The song's opening skit sets the tone by mocking a "wack" rapper for driving a Sebring in the projects with a rag-top and for the woman riding shotgun. The following verses by Common, Kanye West, Consequence and Talib Kweli respectively take aim at such wack rappers. Common says he doesn't like to be around them, that they're nauseating, and that their music doesn't even sound warm, unlike his sound that's as nasty as Ol' Dirty Bastard's. West, who was notorious for his then-brash personality, is similarly dismissive of his rap peers who can't hold a candle to his skills. He criticizes their fashion sense, cars, and problems with women. Consequence rips into these rappers too, mocking their posse that they only "Say Yes" like Floetry, while Kweli weaves biblical references into his verse, proclaiming himself to be the nicest and prophesying doom for wack rappers.
The first verse is performed by Common, where he proclaims his distaste for wack rappers and his refusal to associate with them. He asks to give them dap or pound them and expresses his loathing for these artists. The second verse is done by Kanye West, and he rebukes the bad rappers for not being as good as Tupac when it comes to producing music. Additionally, he mocks them for their choice of expensive clothes and cars and songs. The third verse was performed by Consequence, where he calls out the guest appearances that these rappers do and pointed out that they are still mediocre. The last verse is done by Talib Kweli, where he cohesively brings together the whole song again by metaphorically saying he's going to "meet his quota," and wack rappers will be meeting their savior.
Line by Line Meaning
Wack niggas...I don't even like to be around 'em
I avoid being around people who are wack because they bring no value to my life
You think you Catholic tryin' to appeal to the masses
You're trying too hard to fit in and be liked by everyone
Prince couldn't get the drawers off the honeys
You have no game with women, not even compared to Prince
It's funny how these wack niggas need my help
People who are wack look to me for help and validation
Dawg, if I was you I wouldn't feel myself
If I were you, I wouldn't be proud of myself or my actions
In the beginnin', God created man in his own image
God created humans to reflect himself and his attributes
All day talkin' that shit like you hold a gat, right?
You talk tough and act like you carry a gun, but you really don't
Oh, anything would rhyme, you need to sell drugs for real
You can't rap well and should consider selling drugs instead
All these thug niggas wanna rap
A lot of people who act tough and live a certain lifestyle want to become rappers
I'ma bout to meet my quota you about to meet ya Saviour
I'm about to exceed my goals while you're about to face your judgement day
Fuck with Talib Kweli, that's how you get got
If you mess with me or my reputation, there will be consequences
Niggas back bangers you don't even know the names of
Many people claim to like certain music or artists but don't even know the songs or names of the artists they are listening to
Contributed by Allison C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Tai
I have the feeling Kanye would've put that "miracle whip" bar on every song he ever made if he could
BigPlus
Probably the best single line on College Dropout lol
01
@Chrysmah mayonaise colored Benz...
Barry Robinson
He said it on last call lol
Cube
@BigPlus fukk no
egypt cole
@01 lmaoo
JahNuhThun Dee The One And Only
Kanye and Talib Kweli couldn’t miss when they were on the same track
Reservoir Dog
One time they did miss on purpose just see what would happen, but then it just circled back around on its own and hit
Fatal Kitty
@Reservoir Dog what’s that track called?
Big Chungus
Now I know what Kanye meant when he said "but the rap was real 'wack' and shit" on last call.