"New National Anthem" is a political rap song by American rapper T.I., released on September 23, 2014, through

Grand Hustle Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...

and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

, as a pre-order track from ''

Paperwork Paperwork refers to written documents or the work needed to create them. Paperwork may also refer to: * Paperwork reduction, loosening or reducing documentation requirements ** Paperwork Reduction Act, a United States federal law enacted in 1980 * ...

'' (2014). The song, produced by Tommy "TBHITS" Brown, features a

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

from American singer-songwriter

Skylar Grey Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music ...

Background and release

In June 2014, at a screening of his "

No Mediocre "No Mediocre" is a song by American rapper T.I., released on June 17, 2014, through Grand Hustle and Columbia Records, as the lead single from his ninth studio album ''Paperwork'' (2014). It is a hip hop song, produced by DJ Mustard, and it fea ...

" music video, T.I. revealed that his "New National Anthem" song, which featured a reference

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

from

Victoria Monet Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, is slated to feature American pop singer

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, adding he was finalizing the process for getting Gaga on the song. T.I. previously worked with Gaga on "Jewels n' Drugs", from her 2013 album ''

Artpop ''Artpop'' (stylized in all caps) is the third studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on November 6, 2013, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Gaga began planning the project in 2011, shortly after the launch of her second ...

''. However, due to her being busy recording a duet album with

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

, Gaga was not available to record with T.I.: "Unfortunately she was really busy with her current project", T.I. told ''Dazed''. On August 20, 2014, one day after speaking out on issues in the U.S. in his online

treatise A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject and its conclusions."Treat ...

about

Ferguson, Missouri Ferguson is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 18,527. History What is now the city of Ferguson was founded in 1855, when William B ...

, in the wake of the fatal police

shooting of Michael Brown On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Brown was accompanied by his 22-year-old male friend Dorian Johnson, who later stated that Brow ...

, T.I. released a new song titled "New National Anthem." The song features vocals from U.S. pop singer

, who has written and performed on several

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

s, including Where'd You Go", " Coming Home", "

I Need a Doctor "I Need a Doctor" is a single by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring fellow American rapper Eminem and American singer Skylar Grey. The song was produced by Alex da Kid and released for digital download through the American iTunes Store on February ...

" and more. The song includes socially conscious lyrics centered on racism and injustice. On September 23, 2014, ''Paperwork'' was made available for pre-order with "New National Anthem" as the "instant gratification track". Also on September 23, the official audio for "New National Anthem" was released via T.I.'s official

VEVO Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

account. On October 20, 2014, T.I. released the official lyric video.

Track listing

Digital download #"New National Anthem" (featuring

) xplicit– 4:17 #"New National Anthem" (featuring Skylar Grey)

lean Lean, leaning or LEAN may refer to: Business practices * Lean thinking, a business methodology adopted in various fields ** Lean construction, an adaption of lean manufacturing principles to the design and construction process ** Lean governm ...

– 4:17

Charts

Release history

References

External links

* * {{authority control Grand Hustle Records singles Columbia Records singles 2014 singles 2014 songs T.I. songs Skylar Grey songs Songs written by T.I. Protest songs Songs against racism and xenophobia Political rap songs Songs written by Tommy Brown (record producer) Songs written by D'Mile