Crack Music
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"Crack Music" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West from his second studio album Late Registration (2005), which features fellow rapper The Game. Curren$y rapped over the song's beat on his 2008 track "Jet Muzik".[1]
The lyrics "That's that crack music ni**a/That real black music ni**" were quoted but changed slightly in PackFM's 2006 song "Nigga Pass" - the changes were replacing 'That's' with 'It's' in the first line and 'That' with 'The' in the second.[2] CJ Fly sampled the acapella of "That's that crack music" in his 2013 song "Still The Motto".[3]
Background
Within the same year that the "Crack Music" featuring album Late Registration was released, West produced Game's single "Dreams". In "Crack Music", West raps: "Who gave Saddam anthrax?/George Bush got the answers", which was coincidentally very shortly before his controversial comments about George Bush.[4][5]
It was revealed that he originally tried to make it without any usage of the n-word.[6]
Composition
The track samples drums from 1969 song "It's Your Thing" by Cold Grits.[7] As well as this, a riff is sampled in it from 1977 track "Since You Came Into My Life" by "The New York Community Choir".[8]
Critical reception
Pitchfork felt positively towards the song, described it as: 'a blustery martial stomp' and complementing 'its soaring choir and biblically extended outro'.[9] Rolling Stone viewed "Crack Music" as showcasing West's 'hard-ass politics'.[10]
When listing the 25 best Kanye verses of all time, Complex ranked the first verse at number 22.[11]
Live performances
On West's 2006 live album Late Orchestration, a live rendition of the song was featured on it.
Personnel
Information taken from Late Registration liner notes.[12]
- Songwriters: Kanye West, Willard Meeks, Jayceon Taylor
- Producers: Kanye West, Jon Brion
- Recorders: Anthony Kilhoffer, Andrew Dawson, Brian Sumner
- Mixer: Andrew Dawson
- Assistant Engineers: Richard Reitz, Matt Green
- Additional vocals: Tony "Penafire" Williams, Keyshia Cole, Charlie Wilson
Alternative versions
Remix
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On Game's 2005 mixtape Ghost Unit, a remix of "Crack Music" was released which had him as the lead artist and West as the featured one.[13]
Poetry Style
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When West released his 2007 mixtape Freshmen Adjustment 3, a poetry version of the track was included on it.[14]
References
- ^ "Curren$y's 'Jet Muzik' sample of Kanye West feat. The Game's 'Crack Music'". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "PackFM's 'Nigga Pass' sample of Kanye West feat. The Game's 'Crack Music'". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "CJ Fly - Still The Motto Lyrics". Genius Lyrics. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kanye West: 24 Political References in His Lyrics". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kanye West Rips Bush During NBC Telethon". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "10 Things You Didn't Know About Kanye West's "Late Registration"". Complex. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kanye West feat. The Game's 'Crack Music' sample of Cold Grits's 'It's Your Thing'". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kanye West feat. The Game's 'Crack Music' sample of The New York Community Choir's 'Since You Came Into My Life'". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kanye West: Late Registration Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ "Late Registration". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ "The 25 Best Kanye West Verses OF ALL TIME!!!". Complex. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ Late Registration (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2005.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Ghost Unit - The Game". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ "Kanye West - Freshemen Adjustment Vol. 3 Lyrics and Tracklist". Genius. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
