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.
Whole City Behind Us
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, Yeah
I used to front when I write songs
Talkin' about having ice on
And I could barely keep my lights on
And my beats was so sick I should've got a medic, But my credit was so pathetic I couldn't afford a debit
When the dropout dropped I had to cop me a money tree
To front on anybody who ever tried to front on me
With so much personality what do u want from me
I could be by myself and enjoy the company
My life this year my career is the lore
Bad shit is a war is for Melissa ford
'94 I could only afford this accord
From the home of gang bangin and we all outdoors
Southside outside westside lets ride eastside right beside lakeshore drive
And i'm (and i'm) chi towns finest, where you at the whole city behind us
Where you at the whole city behind us
Where you at the whole city behind us
Southside outside westside lets ride
Where you at the whole city behind us
[Verse 2 - Ludacris]
It ain't nothing to it but to do it
I came here to shut the place down
Till my body starts pumpin red fluid
A-town I been through it
And we steady getting tested
But ready to feel your bubble
When we put the lead to it
Up top it's really gulley
Down south we get buck and turn hearts to silly putty
Ludacris I got silly money you got jokes
I'll be laughing all the way to the bank now that's really funny
Big city bright lights, and many pity cause we like fights
Maybe long days but its fight nights
Living out the night life
And people asking where u at
Not the club ill stay in to get ripe
Hot-lanta home of the booty's and the really tight skirts
Where if somebody moves then somebody gets hurt
From Decatur down to C.P., and E.P.,
Adam's field to the battlefield, Its D.T.P.
Where you at the whole city behind us
Where you at the whole city behind us
Southside outside westside lets ride
Where you at the whole city behind us
[Verse 3 - The Game]
Its Compton's prodigy obviously I'm from the home of hydraulics
Where they tie bandanas around the steering columns of Impalas
And to get hollow we fightin' pit bulls and rot weiler's in the projects
The objective is make dolla's
Where you at?
It ain't a problem to get it there by tomorrow
Cause I got a female friend with frequent flier mileage
I ain't ever been to college got the IQ of a road scholar
If you follow G Unit throw up your dub's and yell hollar
To all the Y G's in khaki's and white tee's
With Air One's in every color like Ice T
I might be the city of Compton's right knee
The way I paint pictures with these hip hop scriptures
Pay attention why the Game shine like a prism
Glisten show you how canaries could alter ones vision
Not to mention I am Dr. Dre christened
On behalf of Luda and Kanyeezy
I'm gone breath easy
Where you at the whole city behind us
Where you at the whole city behind us
Southside outside westside lets ride
Where you at the whole city behind us
Where you at the whole city behind us
Where you at the whole city behind us
Southside outside westside lets ride
Where you at the whole city behind us
In Whole City Behind Us, Kanye West, Ludacris and The Game reflect upon their origins and the cities that shaped their personalities and careers. Kanye begins the song by acknowledging his past struggles and boasting about his skills as a producer and rapper, despite his lack of financial stability. He describes how his fame and fortune have changed his life, and how he feels triumphant over the people who doubted him. Ludacris takes over with a passionate verse about his love for Atlanta and the South, and how he has earned his success through hard work and perseverance. He talks about the different neighborhoods and lifestyles that make up his city, and how they all come together to form a tight-knit community. Finally, The Game discusses his hometown of Compton, California, and the challenges he faced growing up in a place plagued by gang violence and poverty. He paints a vivid picture of the street life and gang culture that were prevalent in his neighborhood, and how he overcame them by using his talent and ambition to rise to fame.
The main theme of Whole City Behind Us is the pride that comes with representing one's hometown, and the sense of community that binds people together despite their differences. Each artist takes a turn celebrating the city that shaped them and made them who they are, and although they come from vastly different backgrounds, they are united by their love for their respective cities. The song is a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, and a tribute to the power of music to bring people together and bridge divides.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to front when I write songs
I used to lie in my songs
Talkin' about having ice on
Bringing up my jewelry and wealth
And I could barely keep my lights on
I was struggling to pay my bills
And my beats was so sick I should've got a medic,
My music was so good that it deserved more recognition
But my credit was so pathetic I couldn't afford a debit
I had terrible credit and couldn't afford a debit card
When the dropout dropped I had to cop me a money tree
When my album 'The College Dropout' was released, I had to earn a substantial amount of money
To front on anybody who ever tried to front on me
To show off and prove wrong anyone who doubted me
With so much personality what do u want from me
I have a lot of charisma and talent to offer
I could be by myself and enjoy the company
I am content alone but also enjoy being around others
My life this year my career is the lore
My life this year revolves around my career
Bad shit is a war is for Melissa ford
I've experienced hardship, and it's a difficult battle like the one actress Melissa Ford faced in her car crash
'94 I could only afford this accord
In 1994, I could only afford a Honda Accord car
From the home of gang bangin and we all outdoors
I am from a place where gang violence is prevalent and everyone spends time outdoors
Southside outside westside lets ride eastside right beside lakeshore drive
We're driving through different parts of Chicago
And i'm (and i'm) chi towns finest, where you at the whole city behind us
I am the best artist from Chicago, and the entire city supports me
It ain't nothing to it but to do it
It's easy, just do it
I came here to shut the place down
I came to dominate
Till my body starts pumpin red fluid
Until my adrenaline starts pumping
A-town I been through it
I have experienced everything in Atlanta
And we steady getting tested
We are consistently challenged
But ready to feel your bubble
And ready to defeat our competition
When we put the lead to it
When we put all our effort into it
Out west they still bangin
In the western United States, gang violence still exists
Up top it's really gulley
In northern regions, it's really tough and dangerous
Down south we get buck and turn hearts to silly putty
In southern states, we are tough and passionate, and can make people fall in love with us easily
Big city bright lights, and many pity cause we like fights
In big cities, the lights are bright but there are also many confrontations and fights
Maybe long days but its fight nights
Maybe we have long days, but we are always ready to fight
Living out the night life
We are living it up at night
And people asking where u at
People are always asking where we are
Not the club ill stay in to get ripe
I won't stay in the club to become spoiled
Hot-lanta home of the booty's and the really tight skirts
Atlanta is known for curvy women, and tight skirts are popular
Where if somebody moves then somebody gets hurt
If someone makes a wrong move, they will get hurt
From Decatur down to C.P., and E.P., Adam's field to the battlefield, Its D.T.P.
From Decatur to College Park, East Point, and Adam's Field to the Battlefield, it's the DTP (Disturbing tha Peace) crew's territory
Its Compton's prodigy obviously I'm from the home of hydraulics
I am obviously Compton's most promising artist, and am from where hydraulic cars are popular
Where they tie bandanas around the steering columns of Impalas
In Compton, bandanas are tied around steering wheel columns of Impala cars as a sign of gang affiliation
And to get hollow we fightin' pit bulls and rot weiler's in the projects
To become respected here, we face intense competition, like fighting pit bulls and rottweilers in the projects
The objective is make dolla's
The main objective is to make money
It ain't a problem to get it there by tomorrow
It's not a problem to make money quickly
Cause I got a female friend with frequent flier mileage
I have a female friend who can get me cheap airline tickets
I ain't ever been to college got the IQ of a road scholar
Although I never went to college, I am extremely intelligent
If you follow G Unit throw up your dub's and yell hollar
If you are a fan of G Unit, show your support by throwing up the W (their symbol) and yell out
To all the Y G's in khaki's and white tee's
To all the young gangsters wearing khakis and white T-shirts
With Air One's in every color like Ice T
Wearing Air Force Ones in various colors, similar to what Ice T wore
I might be the city of Compton's right knee
I am an important part of the city of Compton, like the right knee is important to the body
The way I paint pictures with these hip hop scriptures
I have a unique talent for expressing myself through hip hop
Pay attention why the Game shine like a prism
Pay attention to me as I shine like a prism
Glisten show you how canaries could alter ones vision
I show you how my jewelry can catch your eye and capture your attention
Not to mention I am Dr. Dre christened
I was given my start in the music industry by Dr. Dre
On behalf of Luda and Kanyeezy
On behalf of Ludacris and Kanye West
I'm gone breath easy
I can relax now that my part is done
Where you at the whole city behind us
The entire city is supporting us
Southside outside westside lets ride
We are riding through different parts of the city, including the Southside and Westside
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@keis93
[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Yeah, yeah - I used to front when I write songs
Talk about havin ice on, and I could barely keep my lights on
And my beats was so sick, I shoulda got a medic
But my credit was so pathetic I couldn't afford a debit
When The Dropout dropped, I had to cop me a money tree
To front on anybody who ever tried to front on me
With so much personality, what do you want from me?
I could be by myself and enjoy the company
My life, this year, my career, is the Lord
Bad chick, this award, is for Melyssa Ford
'94 I could only afford this Accord
From the home of gangbangin and we all outdoors
Southside, outside, Westside, let's ride
Eastside, right B-Side, Lakeshore Drive
And I'm (and I'm) Chi-Town's finest
Where you at? The whole city behind us
[Hook: Kanye West]
Where you at? The whole city behind us
Where you at? The whole city behind us
Southside, outside, Westside, let's ride
Where you at? The whole city behind us
[Verse 2: Ludacris]
It ain't nuttin to it but to do it! I came here
To shut the place down 'til my body stops pumpin red fluid
A-Town I've been through it! And we steady gettin tested
But ready to fill your bubble when we put the lead to it
Out West they still bangin, up top it's really gully
Down South we get buck and turn hearts to Silly Putty
Ludacris I got silly money - you got jokes?
I'll be laughin all the way to the bank - now that's really funny!
Big city bright lights - and many pity cause we like fights
May be long days but it's fright nights
Living out the night life - and people asking 'Where You At?'
Not the club; I stay in the get right!
Hotlanta home of the booties and the really tight skirts
Where if somebody moves then somebody gets hurt!
From Decatur down to CP, and EP
Adamsville to the battlefield it's D.T.P
[Hook]
[Verse 3: The-Game]
It's Compton's prodigy
Obviously I'm from the home of hydraulics
Where they tie bandanas around the steerin column
Of Impalas in to get holla
We fightin pitbulls and Rottweilers
In the projects the objective is make dollars
'Where You At?' It ain't a problem to get it there by tomorrow
Cause I got a female friend, with frequent flier mileage
I ain't never been to college, got the IQ of a Rhodes Scholar
If you follow G-Unit throw up your dubs and yell holla
To all the Y.G.s in khakis and white tees
With And 1's in every color like Ice-T
I might be the city of Compton's right knee
The way I paint pictures with these hip-hop scriptures
Pay attention while The Game shine like a prism
Glisten, show you how canaries can alter one's vision
Not to mention I am Dr. Dre christened on behalf
Of Luda and Kanyeezy, I'm gon' breathe easy
[Hook] - repeat 2X
@carlydaboss07
Man, Luda always KILLS it when he collabs with other people. That dude is a beast! Kanye's verse is serious too. I love when he says, "with so much personality, what do you want from me? I can be by myself and enjoy the company!" COOOOOOLD!
@kennethhunt5980
🎯🎯💯💯💯💯💪🏾💪🏾😤😤😤🖤👑
@meiteimandies5406
13 year old comment, NICE
@Doritsboobshadow
All these lyrics are lyrics from each of their songs
@Delightfully_Witchy
... The Game was fine, bit he probably shouldn't have come at the end.
He was a bit outshined, but he was still good.
@NorCal_Renegade
Truth!!
@nickhalloway6068
Kanye at his best production wise
@des8301
word!
@robdillinger3112
💯
@skaterdude14b
& lyrically.& stylistically