New Slaves
This song contains close paraphrasing of non-free copyrighted sources. (June 2019) |
"New Slaves" | |
---|---|
Song by Kanye West | |
from the album Yeezus | |
Released | June 18, 2013 |
Recorded | 2012–2013 |
Genre | |
Length | 4:16 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
"New Slaves" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced primarily by West, with additional production by Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Travis Scott, Noah Goldstein, Sham Joseph, and Che Pope. The song's lyrics discuss slavery and segregation, as well as racism in general, materialism, and stereotypes of African Americans in the United States.[1] It features vocals from American recording artist Frank Ocean, whom West previously collaborated with on Watch the Throne (2011). The song's coda features a sample of "Gyöngyhajú lány" by Hungarian composer Gábor Presser, who later sued West in 2016 over its use.
Before its release on the album, West promoted it extensively, projecting it on over 60 locations around the world, and performing it live on
Background
In a 2014 interview with Zach Baron of
In 2016, Hungarian composer Gábor Presser, who wrote "Gyöngyhajú lány" in 1969, claimed that West asked him for permission to use that composition as the outro of "New Slaves", and gave him a $10,000 check as a deposit toward a future agreement. The check was not cashed, and Presser filed a lawsuit against West, seeking $2.5 million.[5][6][7] After unsuccessful negotiations between Presser and West through 2016, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the US Southern District of New York rejected the rapper's attempt to dismiss the suit and to transfer the case out in December. Just two days before West was slated to be deposed in the case, he reached an out-of-court deal with Presser on March 20, 2017.[8][9]
Release and promotion
"New Slaves" was released on June 18, 2013, as the fourth track on West's sixth studio album Yeezus.[10] Prior to the song's release, it was played at 66 locations whilst a black-and-white video of West performing it was projected on various buildings in various countries around the world,[11][12] including at Wrigley Field and the Royal Ontario Museum. Miriam Coleman said the simplicity of the video "provided a striking context for the rapper's searing lyrics on race and materialism".[13] Two projections in Texas (including the Rothko Chapel) were dismissed by police prior to commencing due to a lack of permit.[14][15] Another projection at Miami Beach, Florida was shut down by police,[16] but left fans excited and eager to see the song's then-upcoming performance on Saturday Night Live.[17]
West performed "New Slaves", along with "Black Skinhead", on Saturday Night Live on May 18, 2013.[18][19] During the performance, West stood in place and stared dead-eyed at the camera the whole time, performing "in front of a projection of eyes."[18][19] West also changed his lyrics to more TV-friendly, changing words such as "dick" to "prick."[19][20] West subsequently performed the song live at the Governors Ball Music Festival on June 9, 2013.[21] During the performance, West "paused and breathed audibly between scant verses, allowing interludes of emptiness to add to the corrosive aura."[22]
Critical reception
"New Slaves" has received widespread acclaim from music critics, with its message, sample, and Ocean's appearance receiving praise. Jim Farber of the
West himself has voiced his love for the song,
Accolades
On June 26, 2013,
The song earned a
Live performances
Before its release on the album, West performed "New Slaves", along with "Black Skinhead", on Saturday Night Live on May 18, 2013.[18] The performance introduced audiences to West's new creative shift for Yeezus and showed how musically different the album would be from his previous, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010).[19][20] West performed the song again at the Governors Ball Music Festival on June 9, 2013, nine days before the release of the album.[21] Following the release of Yeezus, West performed the song live at the first concert of The Yeezus Tour at the Barclays Center in New York City.[32] West wore a jeweled mask during the show, which Jim Farber of New York Daily News believed contributed to "the industrial fusion he has injected on Yeezus."[32] When commenting on his performance of "New Slaves" and "Black Skinhead", Farber writes: "West delivers [them] with the brutality they deserve."[32] In September 2013, West performed an acoustic rendition of the song with Charlie Wilson on Later... with Jools Holland.[33]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the Yeezus liner notes.[34]
- Songwriter – Kanye West, Christopher Breaux, Cydel Young, Ben Bronfman, Malik Jones, Che Smith, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Louis Johnson, Mike Dean, Gábor Presser, and Anna Adamis
- Producer – Kanye West
- Co-producer – Ben Bronfman
- Additional vocals – Frank Ocean
- Additional producer – Mike Dean #MWA, Travis Scott, Noah Goldstein, Sham Joseph, and Che Pope
- Additional programming – Hudson Mohawke and Arca
- Noises and vocal sounds creator and engineer – Ken Lewis
- Engineer – Noah Goldstein, Anthony Kilhoffer, and Mike Dean
- Assistant engineer – Marc Portheau, Khoï Huynh, Raoul Le Pennec, Nabil Essemlani, Keith Parry, Kenta Yonesaka, Dave Rowland, Kevin Matela, Sean Oakley, Eric Lynn, Dave 'Squirrel' Covell, and Josh Smith
- Mix – Anthony Kilhoffer at Shangri-La Studios, Malibu, CA
- Mix assisted – Sean Oakley, Eric Lynn, Dave 'Squirrel' Covell, and Josh Smith
Chart positions
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[35] | 99 |
France ( SNEP)[36]
|
152 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[37]
|
97 |
20 | |
US Billboard Hot 100[39] | 56 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[40] | 17 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[41] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
References
- ^ Kennedy, John (May 17, 2013). "Read The Controversial Lyrics To Kanye West's 'New Slaves'". Vibe. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ GQ. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Nostro, Lauren (March 6, 2014). "Dutch E Germ Has Lived a Life You Cannot Possibly Fathom". Vice. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Daily News. Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Kanye West is being 'sued for $2.5m over New Slaves sample". Metro UK. May 22, 2016. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^ "Kanye West getting sued for New Slaves sample". HipHopEarly. Archived from the original on May 24, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Pitchfork. May 20, 2016. Archivedfrom the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ Grajzel, Fanni (March 26, 2017). "No trial but Kanye West has to pay Gábor Presser". Daily News Hungary. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Kanye West Just Settled a $2.5 Million USD Lawsuit". Hypebeast. March 24, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ Jeffries, David. "Yeezus – Kanye West". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ^ Battan, Carrie (May 17, 2013). "Watch: Kanye West Projects New Video "New Slaves" on Buildings Around the World". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
- ^ Sargent, Jordan (May 18, 2013). "Kanye West Debuts 'New Slaves' by Projecting His Face on Buildings All Over World". Spin. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Coleman, Miriam (May 18, 2013). "Kanye West Premieres 'New Slaves' With Video Projections Around the World – Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- Huffington Post. Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (May 28, 2013). "Kanye West's 'New Slaves' Screening Fizzles at the Alamo". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- Complex. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- Complex. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c Pelly, Liz (May 19, 2013). "Watch Kanye West Do "Black Skinhead" & "New Slaves" On SNL". Stereogum. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Martins, Chris (May 19, 2013). "Watch Kanye West Usurp 'SNL' for 'Black Skinheads' and 'New Slaves'". Spin. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (May 19, 2013). "Kanye West Performs 'Black Skinhead,' 'New Slaves' on 'SNL': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Daily News. Archivedfrom the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ Anderson, Stacey (June 10, 2013). "Kanye West Performs 'Yeezus' Songs at Governors Ball". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (July 2, 2013). "Odds and Ends 031". MSN Music. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ^ Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Rytlewski, Evan (June 17, 2013). "Kanye West: Yeezus". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Rogulewski, Charley (July 20, 2013). "Kanye West Calls 'New Slaves' "Best Rap Verse of All Time. Period"". Vibe. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- ^ Locker, Melissa (December 20, 2013). "The 25 Best Songs Of 2013 (The Entire Year)". Time. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
- Complex. December 2, 2013. Archivedfrom the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ Barker, Emily (November 26, 2013). "NME's 50 Best Tracks Of 2013". NME. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ a b "The Top 100 Tracks of 2013". Pitchfork. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- Complex. Archivedfrom the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c Farber, Jim (November 20, 2013). "Concert review: Kanye West startles, appalls during 'Yeezus' show at Barclays". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ Nick Levine (September 21, 2013). "Kanye West performs 'New Slaves' and 'Blood On The Leaves' on 'Jools Holland'". NME. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020.
- ^ Yeezus (PDF) (Media notes). Kanye West. Def Jam Recordings. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- Les classement single. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ CHART: CLUK Update 29.06.2013 (wk25) Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (in German). zobbel.de Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "American single certifications – Kanye West – New Slaves". Recording Industry Association of America.