"Win" (stylized in
all caps
In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in ...
) is a song by American rapper
Jay Rock
Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a rec ...
, released on May 16, 2018 as the second single from his third studio album ''
Redemption'' (2018). It features backing vocals from American rapper
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
and was produced by
Vinylz
Anderson Hernandez (born September 2, 1989),Rys, Dan (July 11, 2013)"‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Behind The Scenes: Five Producers Who Helped Craft The Album". ''XXL (magazine), XXL''. Accessed on July 11, 2013. professionally known as Vinylz, ...
, with co-production handled by
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
The Toronto raised producer has work ...
and CT.
Composition
"Win" contains a sample of "Rooster and Runaway (from ''
True Grit
True Grit may refer to:
Fiction
* ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis
** ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne
** ''True Grit'' (2010 film), a film adaptation by the Coen Brothers, ...
'')", composed by
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...
, and uses a
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
beat
that features celebratory-sounding trumpets and drums.
Throughout the track, Kendrick Lamar provides ad-libs in the background. The song begins with a horn riff, and a chorus performed by Jay Rock,
who raps about triumphing over adversity while also delivering boastful lyrics and claiming his position as a winner in the rap game.
Music video
A music video for the song was released on May 30, 2018. Directed by
Dave Meyers and
Dave Free
David Friley (born November 13, 1986), known professionally as Dave Free, is an American filmmaker, record executive, and former record producer. He is best known for his creative partnership with rapper Kendrick Lamar, with whom he founded the ...
, it opens with Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar dressed in suits while surrounded by trumpeters and flames.
The video sees Rock dodging missiles in the middle of a war zone, celebrating with a championship trophy, hunting ducks with Lamar, surrounded by masked men brandishing bayonets, playing pool, staging an execution off the roof of a building,
reclining with several women and hanging out a convertible.
Top Dawg Entertainment
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label founded in 2004, by CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Terrence "Punch" Henderson is president of the label. There are currently eleven artists signed to the label: the label's f ...
artists
SZA,
Ab-Soul
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where ...
,
Isaiah Rashad
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain (born May 16, 1991), is an American rapper. His first big break was performing on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour with rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA among others. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga hip ...
,
Sir
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...
and
Lance Skiiiwalker
Lance Howard, better known by his stage name Lance Skiiiwalker, is an American singer, rapper and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and his debut album, '' Introverted Intuition'', was released in ...
make cameos in the video.
Remixes
Jay Rock released a remix of the song endorsing
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Yvonne Abrams (; born December 9, 1973) is an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017, serving as minority leader from 2011 to 2017. A member ...
' campaign for the
2018 Georgia gubernatorial election
The 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, concurrently with other statewide and local elections to elect the next governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp won the election ...
, on October 24, 2018. On October 30, 2018, the official remix featuring American rapper
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
was released.
Charts
Certifications
References
{{Jay Rock
2018 singles
2018 songs
Jay Rock songs
Songs written by Jay Rock
Songs written by Kendrick Lamar
Songs written by Vinylz
Songs written by Boi-1da
Song recordings produced by Vinylz
Song recordings produced by Boi-1da
Top Dawg Entertainment singles
Interscope Records singles
Trap music songs
Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director)