Niggas in Paris
Encyclopedia
"Niggas in Paris" is a song by American rappers Kanye West
and Jay-Z
, released as the fourth single from their collaboration album Watch the Throne
. It debuted at #75 on the US Billboard Hot 100
on the week of the album's release. The song was sent to Rhythmic and Urban radio on September 13, 2011.
" which was released to radios simultaneously with "Niggas in Paris" on September 13, 2011.
. Remixes or freestyles on this beat created by other artists include a remix by Chris Brown and T-Pain
, a freestyle by The Game titled "Niggas in Compton", a freestyle by Meek Mill which appeared on his mixtape Dreamchasers, a remix by Chevy Woods titled "Taylors In Paris", a freestyle by Trey Songz
which a appeared on his mixtape #LemmeHolDatBeat2 titled "In Africa", a remix by E.S.G.
titled "Niggas In Houston", and a remix by Felony
titled "Niggas in Harris
". Rapper Traphik (aka Timothy DeLaGhetto) did a freestyle to Niggas in Paris for his weekly 16.
. "No one knows what it means, but it's provocative, Gets the people going!" says Ferrell with deep conviction, essentially summing up the art of hip-hop lyrics." Billboard
commented on the song by saying "N**gas in Paris:" Kanye steals the show on the Hit-Boy produced club anthem. A sampling of dialogue from the 2007 film Blades of Glory
is tucked in between." The Guardian
called the song a standout track on the album and also commented by saying "This percolating track could have been produced by Wiley
, with sick sub-bass and a snare that sounds like static. Both rappers are in excellent form, with West repeating "That shit Kray". Kanye begins in half-time and speeds up. Among the lines that jump out: "I'm suffering from realness" and "Don't let me get in my zone." A standout track." Pitchfork
complimented that the song possessed great moments by Kanye West and said the following "It also features this great Kanye moment, "Doctors say I'm the illest because I'm suffering from realness/ Got my niggas in Paris, and they going gorillas,"
. MTV News
said with "the track's Will Ferrell
intro ("We're gonna skate to one song and one song only") brought on the moment that everyone was waiting for." USA Today
commented "at one point, as Jay-Z and West performed Niggas in Paris from their new hit CD, "Watch the Throne," West exhorted the audience to "Bounce! Bounce!" The resulting stomping had Philips Arena
rocking and shaking in a way that it hasn't for the Hawks
in a long time." The song was played seven times at The Palace of Auburn Hills
, played twice to close out the set and then being played five more times for the encore. The song was also performed live as part of the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
at number 75 making it the second highest debut for any non-single on the album behind only "Who Gon Stop Me
". On the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs
the song debuted at number 58 even before it was released as a single from the album.As of November 9, 2011 The song has sold 464,000 copies in the United States.
Recording
Personnel
Samples
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, released as the fourth single from their collaboration album Watch the Throne
Watch the Throne
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations and began in November 2010. It was...
. It debuted at #75 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on the week of the album's release. The song was sent to Rhythmic and Urban radio on September 13, 2011.
Artwork
The artwork for "Niggas in Paris" features the French flag with a black third substituted for a blue one and is the exact same cover used for Kanye West and Jay-Z's song "Why I Love YouWhy I Love You (Kanye West and Jay-Z song)
"Why I Love You" is a song by American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z and features Mr. Hudson, from their first collaboration album Watch the Throne. The song was officially sent to Rhythmic Radio formats on September 13, 2011...
" which was released to radios simultaneously with "Niggas in Paris" on September 13, 2011.
Inspiration
Jay-Z spoke in an interview recently remarking that the term "cray" does mean crazy. The line "Ball so hard, muhfuckas wanna FINE me" actually came about from Jay-Z getting fined for visiting The Kentucky Wildcats basketball locker room. He was fined $50,000.Remixes & Freestyles
The official remix features rapper T.I.T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
. Remixes or freestyles on this beat created by other artists include a remix by Chris Brown and T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, a freestyle by The Game titled "Niggas in Compton", a freestyle by Meek Mill which appeared on his mixtape Dreamchasers, a remix by Chevy Woods titled "Taylors In Paris", a freestyle by Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
which a appeared on his mixtape #LemmeHolDatBeat2 titled "In Africa", a remix by E.S.G.
E.S.G.
E.S.G. is a rapper from Houston, Texas. He helped to popularize the "chopped and screwed" style of rap music. Debut album Ocean of Funk was released in 1995 and he released albums regularly since then.-Studio:...
titled "Niggas In Houston", and a remix by Felony
Swishahouse
Swishahouse is a Houston, Texas-based independent southern rap record label.- History :Swishahouse was founded in North Houston in the late 1990s by Michael '5000' Watts and OG Ron C as a response to the popularity of chopped and screwed music from Houston's south side...
titled "Niggas in Harris
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
". Rapper Traphik (aka Timothy DeLaGhetto) did a freestyle to Niggas in Paris for his weekly 16.
Critical reception
Rolling Stone commented on the song by saying "Jay and Ye come in hard over a slow, menacing beat and icy synthesizer notes, but regardless, this cut is mostly memorable for including an unexpected sample of dialogue from the Will Ferrell/Jon Heder ice-skating comedy Blades of GloryBlades of Glory
Blades of Glory is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The movie was released on March 29, 2007 by DreamWorks and MTV Films...
. "No one knows what it means, but it's provocative, Gets the people going!" says Ferrell with deep conviction, essentially summing up the art of hip-hop lyrics." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
commented on the song by saying "N**gas in Paris:" Kanye steals the show on the Hit-Boy produced club anthem. A sampling of dialogue from the 2007 film Blades of Glory
Blades of Glory
Blades of Glory is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The movie was released on March 29, 2007 by DreamWorks and MTV Films...
is tucked in between." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called the song a standout track on the album and also commented by saying "This percolating track could have been produced by Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
, with sick sub-bass and a snare that sounds like static. Both rappers are in excellent form, with West repeating "That shit Kray". Kanye begins in half-time and speeds up. Among the lines that jump out: "I'm suffering from realness" and "Don't let me get in my zone." A standout track." Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
complimented that the song possessed great moments by Kanye West and said the following "It also features this great Kanye moment, "Doctors say I'm the illest because I'm suffering from realness/ Got my niggas in Paris, and they going gorillas,"
Live performances
The song has been performed on the Watch the Throne TourWatch the Throne Tour
The Watch The Throne Tour is an ongoing North American concert tour by American rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z. It began on October 28, 2011, in Atlanta at the Philips Arena and will continue until mid December with its final show scheduled in Vancouver on December 2011...
. MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
said with "the track's Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
intro ("We're gonna skate to one song and one song only") brought on the moment that everyone was waiting for." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
commented "at one point, as Jay-Z and West performed Niggas in Paris from their new hit CD, "Watch the Throne," West exhorted the audience to "Bounce! Bounce!" The resulting stomping had Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
rocking and shaking in a way that it hasn't for the Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
in a long time." The song was played seven times at The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
, played twice to close out the set and then being played five more times for the encore. The song was also performed live as part of the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Chart performance
On August 27, 2011, "Niggas in Paris" made its debut on the US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 75 making it the second highest debut for any non-single on the album behind only "Who Gon Stop Me
Who Gon Stop Me
"Who Gon Stop Me" is a song by American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z, from their first collaboration album Watch the Throne. The song is the 9th songon the official track list for the album...
". On the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
the song debuted at number 58 even before it was released as a single from the album.As of November 9, 2011 The song has sold 464,000 copies in the United States.
Credits and personnel
The credits for "Niggas in Paris" are adapted from the liner notes of Watch the Throne.Recording
- Recorded at: Hôtel MeuriceHotel MeuriceLe Meurice is a 5-star hotel in Paris, located opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre. This hotel is owned and managed by the Dorchester Collection...
, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Personnel
- Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
– songwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
– songwriting, vocals - Hit-BoyHit-BoyChauncey Hollis, better known as Hit-Boy is an American hip-hop, R&B and contemporary platinum-level music producer currently signed to GOOD Music Born Chauncey Hollis, on May 21, 1987 in Fontana, California, he is the son of Chauncey Hollis Sr. and Tanisha Bedford. He is best known for his...
– songwriting, production - Mike DeanMike Dean (producer)Mike Dean is an American hip-hop producer. He is known for pioneering the "Dirty South" sound in the 1990s, particularly in work for artists from Rap-A-Lot Records. Dean has most notably worked alongside Scarface of the Geto Boys, 2Pac, Do or Die, Tha Dogg Pound, Yukmouth of the Luniz, Outlawz,...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
, songwriting, production - Anthony Kilhoffer – mixingAudio mixingAudio mixing may refer to:*Audio mixing *Audio mixing *Live sound mixing...
, additional production - Noah Goldstein – recording
- Reverend W.A. Donaldson – songwriting
Samples
- Contains audio from the motion picture Blades of GloryBlades of GloryBlades of Glory is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The movie was released on March 29, 2007 by DreamWorks and MTV Films...
, used courtesy of Paramount PicturesParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, and contains elements of "Baptizing Scene", performed and written by Reverend W.A. Donaldson.
Charts
| Charts (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
86 |
| Germany (German Black Charts Deutsche Black Charts Deutsche Black Charts DBC, also known by various names including Deutsche Urban Charts and Deutsche Hip Hop/R&B/Dancehall Singles is a chart released weekly by Deutsche Trend Charts in Germany.... ) |
2 |
| South Korea Gaon Chart Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... |
53 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
15 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| US Rap Songs (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| US Pop Songs (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
31 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | September 13, 2011 | Rhythmic and Urban radio | Roc-A-Fella/IDJMG |
| November 8, 2011 | Top 40/Mainstream radio | Roc-A-Fella/IDJMG |