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Black Skinhead

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"Black Skinhead"
Song

"Black Skinhead" (also stylized as "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD") is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). The song is produced by West and Daft Punk, with additional production by Gesaffelstein, Brodinski, Mike Dean, Lupe Fiasco, No ID, Jack Donoghue, and Noah Goldstein.

The song was premiered on the finale of Saturday Night Live, which saw West's performance backed by projected images of snarling dogs and various slogans (including "new slaves" and "not for sale"). Although West initially said Yeezus would have no singles,[4] "Black Skinhead" became the first single released from the album after its debut on June 19, 2013, and peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Nick Knight and features computer-generated imagery of West, along with interactive options including "screen grabbing" and "making Kanye's voice sound really, really slow".

Production

The song features production by French duo Daft Punk, who worked with West on other singles on Yeezus. The song was also the first song Daft Punk recorded for Yeezus, and originated from unused material the duo recorded for their Grammy Award-winning-Random Access Memories. According to co-producer Mike Dean, the song was almost left off Yeezus for sounding "too much like a soccer song."[5]

Release and promotion

West performed "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves" on the May 18, 2013 broadcast of the American sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live.[6] "Black Skinhead" impacted radio in the United Kingdom on June 19.[7] On June 28, Def Jam Recordings confirmed that it would be serviced to American radio as the first single from Yeezus.[8] The label also revealed that a music video for the song was in production.[8] Following the announcement, "Black Skinhead" was officially released on July 2.[9] Prior to its release as a single, "Black Skinhead" debuted at number 69 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[10] The track also peaked at numbers 21 and 15 respectively on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.[11][12] West was set to perform the song at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, 2013 but ended up performing "Blood on the Leaves" instead.[13][14] The song was featured in the trailer to the films The Wolf of Wall Street[15] and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.[16] On October 18, 2013, "Black Skinhead" was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Denmark.[17]

Music video

For five months leading up to the single's announcement, West worked on a music video for "Black Skinhead" with photographer Nick Knight.[18] The music video was initially leaked to the Internet on July 8, 2013.[19] Shortly thereafter, West stated that leaked version of the video was incomplete and released without his approval.[19] On July 21, 2013, the final version was officially released as an interactive video on West's website.[20] The interactive portion of the video allows users to control the video's speed down to almost one-sixteenth the normal rate, as well as take screenshots for use in social media platforms.[21] The user's cursor changes to that of a black hand giving the middle finger when interacting with the video.[21] Pitchfork Media noted that apart from interactivity, the video itself is identical to the version that was leaked ahead of release.[21]

The video opens with three figures wearing black conical hoods, reminiscent of those worn by the Ku Klux Klan; their hoods form a black border that envelops most of the screen, while the silhouettes of the outlying cones stay on each end.[22] The primary action of the video takes place in the middle portion of the screen, which is occupied by a shirtless, computer-generated version of West, wearing a long chain and leather pants, who raps the song's lyrics and dances.[23][24] West appears in various forms: a rough, spiky animatic; a silhouetted model; one whose upper torso save the face is covered in talc; a heavily muscled version; and a nude version with rows of subdermal implants on the shoulders and chest.[22] Interspersed with his figure are several brief flashes of snarling dobermans and other predatory animals.[25]

Critical reception

"Black Skinhead" received universal acclaim from critics, many of whom cited it as one of the best songs on Yeezus. Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly cited "Black Skinhead" as one of the album's best songs, describing it as "a galloping punk-rap manifesto".[3] Rolling Stone named "Black Skinhead" the third best song of 2013 saying, "'Ye rapping rabid over an industrial glitter-rock stomp pumped with heavy breathing and Tarzan screams. Next time someone says America is post-race, play 'em this, and watch their head explode."[26] NME named the song the tenth best song of 2013 saying, ""Black Skinhead" was a microcosm of why that's the case: three breathless and almost-punk minutes that covered the central complexes – ego, messiah and persecution - of his dark and twisted psyche."[27]

Remix

A remix, featuring singer Miley Cyrus was recorded on August 25, 2013, shortly afterwards the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Producer Mike Will Made It was present during the recording session and added some production to the song.[28] The remix leaked on January 21, 2016, and was revealed to feature Lupe Fiasco (who is featured on the original track) and Travi$ Scott in addition to Cyrus. The track features Cyrus singing a rendition of the hook from Tears for Fears' 1985 song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" from their album Songs from the Big Chair.[29][30]

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[38] 58
Australia Urban Singles (ARIA)[38] 9
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[39] 59
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[40] 24
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[41] 66
France (SNEP)[42] 105
Ireland (IRMA)[43] 55
Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[44] 35
Scotland (OCC)[45] 31
South Korea International Singles (Gaon)[46] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[47] 34
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[48] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 69
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 21
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[12] 15

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[49] 197

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[50] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[51] Platinum 1,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom June 19, 2013[7] Contemporary hit radio Def Jam
United States July 2, 2013[9] Urban contemporary radio

References

  1. ^ Rytlewski, Evan (June 17, 2013). "Kanye West: Yeezus". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  2. ^ Kelley, Frannie (May 21, 2013). "Kanye West Stands Alone". NPR. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Rahman, Ray (June 25, 2013). "Yeezus (2013): Kanye West". Entertainment Weekly. New York. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  4. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/2501297/kanye-west-doesnt-need-yeezus-tracks-to-be-on-radio/
  5. ^ "Black Skinhead by Kanye West Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  6. ^ Coleman, Miriam (May 19, 2013). "Kanye West Unleashes the Fury of 'Black Skinhead' on 'SNL'". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "BBC Radio 1 Playlist – 19 June 2013". BBC Radio 1. BBC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b Greenwald, David (June 28, 2013). "Kanye West Prepping 'Black Skinhead' as First 'Yeezus' Single". Billboard. Los Angeles. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (July 3, 2013). "Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Sales Drop 80% In Second Week". Billboard. New York. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Kanye West Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  13. ^ http://www.rap-up.com/2013/08/28/kanye-west-records-black-skinhead-remix-with-miley-cyrus/
  14. ^ Markman, Rob (August 5, 2013). "Kanye West Taking 'Black Skinhead' From 'SNL' To Video Music Awards". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  15. ^ Christina, Andrew (June 17, 2013). "Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead' Featured In 'Wolf Of Wall Street' Trailer". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  16. ^ Nick Romano (January 18, 2016). "'Neighbors 2' Trailer Sneak Peek: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron Battle Ball-Busting Babes". Collider. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  17. ^ "Kanye West 'Black Skinhead'" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  18. ^ Harris James (July 10, 2013). "Nick Knight Directed Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead' Video. So, Who Is Nick Knight?". Complex. New York. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Kanye West Says 'Black Skinhead' Video Was Leaked". XXL. New York. July 9, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  20. ^ Danton, Eric R. (July 22, 2013). "Kanye West Posts Completed 'Black Skinhead' Video". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  21. ^ a b c Battan, Carrie; Phillips, Amy (July 22, 2013). "Watch: Kanye West's "Black Skinhead" Video, Final, Interactive Version". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  22. ^ a b Serrano, Shea (July 10, 2013). "A Minute-By-Minute Breakdown of Kanye's 'Black Skinhead' Video". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  23. ^ A Minute-By-Minute Breakdown of Kanye's 'Black Skinhead' Video. New York. July 21, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  24. ^ Lansky, Sam (July 22, 2013). "Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead' Video: Watch The Final, Interactive Version Of The Clip". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  25. ^ Montgomery, James (July 9, 2013). "Kanye West's Bold 'Black Skinhead' Video: Real Or Not?". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  26. ^ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-songs-of-2013-20131204/kanye-west-black-skinhead-19691231
  27. ^ http://www.nme.com/photos/nme-s-50-best-tracks-of-2013/326746/1/1#41
  28. ^ Takeda, Allison (August 28, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Skipped VMAs After-Party to Record With Kanye West". Us Weekly. New York. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  29. ^ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-miley-cyrus-kanye-wests-black-skinhead-remix-20160121
  30. ^ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/kanye-west-and-miley-cyrus-remix-of-black-skinhead-has-arrived-after-two-years-a6826766.html
  31. ^ "All The Music In Suicide Squad: Knaye West to Black Sabbath". The Playlist. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  32. ^ "Kanye West x Depeche Mode Mashup Soundtracks Latest Atomic Blonde Trailer". SteroGum. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  33. ^ "What's a Kanye West song doing in a TV show about slavery?". Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  34. ^ "Sky Bet – Are You In?". AdBreakThemes. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  35. ^ "Black Skinhead / Party in My Pants (From Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising) - Single". iTunes. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  36. ^ "The Rock is the Executive Producer of WWE 2K18's Soundtrack". PlaystaionLifestyle. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  37. ^ "Toyota Camry". Music Mill. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  38. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Issue 1218 (Week Commencing 1 July 2013)" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  39. ^ "Kanye West – Black Skinhead" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  40. ^ "Kanye West – Black Skinhead" (in Dutch). Ultratop Urban. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  41. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  42. ^ "Kanye West – Black Skinhead" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  43. ^ "Chart Track: Week 12, 2014". Irish Singles Chart.
  44. ^ "Chart Search". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  45. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  46. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Chart (2013.06.16 – 2013.06.22)" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  47. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  48. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  49. ^ "Link" (PDF).
  50. ^ "British single certifications – Kanye West – Black Skinhead". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 27, 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Black Skinhead in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  51. ^ "American single certifications – Kanye West – Black Skinhead". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  52. ^ http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Kanye%20West&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2012&sort=Artist&perPage=25#[permanent dead link]

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