Guilt Trip (song)
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"Guilt Trip" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, from his sixth studio album '' Yeezus'' (2013). It was produced by West, Mike Dean, S1, with an additional production credit for Travis Scott and Ackeejuice Rockers for the samples of "
Chief Rocka "Chief Rocka" is the third single released from the Lords of the Underground's debut album, ''Here Come the Lords''. The song was produced and featured scratches by K-Def, with K-Def and Marley Marl mixing it. "Chief Rocka" became the group's most ...
" by Lords of the Underground and "Blocka" by Pusha T featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott. The song's lyrics deal with looking back at a failed relationship, similar to fellow ''Yeezus'' track "
Blood on the Leaves "Blood on the Leaves" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). In the song West presents his thoughts on how fame can cause the destruction of relationships, while making compariso ...
". West provides his vocals through rapping and singing through an Auto-Tune processor, reminiscent of his 2008 album '' 808s & Heartbreak''. The song includes vocals from rapper
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...
, who later expressed negative opinions about his feature due to his vocals being recorded years prior. Since release, "Guilt Trip" has received generally positive reviews from music critics, with multiple commenting on its melodic sound. The song charted at number 2 on the US ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. West performed the song live on
The Yeezus Tour The Yeezus Tour was a concert tour by American rapper Kanye West in support of West's sixth solo studio album, '' Yeezus'' (2013). The venture served as West's first solo concert tour in five years. Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, Travis S ...
in 2013.


Background and development

In October 2014, producer S1 revealed that he created the earliest version of the beat during sessions for West's collaboration album '' Watch the Throne'' (2011) with
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
, who revealed that the song was originally intended for that album; a version exists with an unfinished verse by Jay-Z. After being passed on for that album, West revisited the song during the ''Yeezus'' sessions, reworking it with S1 and Mike Dean, and adding it to the final tracklist for ''Yeezus''. West and
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...
had collaborated on numerous tracks in the past, including the former's "
Welcome to Heartbreak "Welcome to Heartbreak" is a song by American record producer and vocalist Kanye West from his fourth studio album, ''808s & Heartbreak'' (2008). The song features a guest appearance from Kid Cudi on his debut collaboration with West, as well a ...
" and the latter's " Erase Me". West began to use Auto-Tune on a regular basis with the release of his album '' 808s & Heartbreak'' in 2008. It eventually came to define the sound of West's music, with him using his own voice as an "instrument." The song's combining of hip hop with
experimental music Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...
focuses on lyrics as being of a lesser importance, which West later did again in his 2016 single "
Fade Fade or Fading may refer to: Science and technology * Fading, a loss of signal strength at a radio receiver * Color fade, the alteration of color by light * Fade (audio engineering), a gradual change in sound volume * Brake fade, in vehicle brakin ...
".


Composition

"Guilt Trip" is a hip hop song that includes elements of experimental music in its instrumentation. The song, like other tracks on ''Yeezus'', sees West looking back at a failed relationship; he delivers his vocals through both rapping and singing through an Auto-Tune processor, similar to his album ''808s & Heartbreak''. He delivers only one verse using the same rhyme scheme for over half of it, during which he namechecks several cultural references, including Jamaican
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
musician Shabba Ranks, the song "
Chief Rocka "Chief Rocka" is the third single released from the Lords of the Underground's debut album, ''Here Come the Lords''. The song was produced and featured scratches by K-Def, with K-Def and Marley Marl mixing it. "Chief Rocka" became the group's most ...
" by hip hop trio Lords of the Underground (of which the song also samples), and ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' character
Chewbacca Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee, a tall, hirsute, bipedal, intelligent species originating from the fictional planet of Kashyyyk. Chewbacca is the loyal friend and firs ...
. On top of "Chief Rocka", the song also contains a sample of "Blocka" by rapper Pusha T featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott. The song's outro is sung by Kid Cudi, who asks the question, "If you loved me so much, then why'd you let me go?" West's reference to Chewbacca is one of numerous times the ''Star Wars'' franchise has been referenced in music.


Release and reception

"Guilt Trip" was released on June 18, 2013, as the eighth track on West's sixth studio album ''Yeezus''. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with the melodic sound garnering praise. The melody at the end of the song was described by
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
, formerly of the Velvet Underground, as "so beautiful, it makes me so emotional, it brings tears to my eyes." When comparing the track to "
Blood on the Leaves "Blood on the Leaves" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). In the song West presents his thoughts on how fame can cause the destruction of relationships, while making compariso ...
", the staff of ''Popdust'' described it as being "even closer to the ' Say You Will' or '
See You in My Nightmares "See You in My Nightmares" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring fellow rapper Lil Wayne, from the former's fourth studio album, '' 808s & Heartbreak'' (2008). The song was written by West, No I.D., Jeff Bhasker and Lil Wayne. wit ...
' feel of est's''808s & Heartbreak'' LP." The site also praised West's verse and Kid Cudi's cameo, calling it "well-placed," concluding: "'Blood on the Leaves' might have the showier setup, but in the end, "Guilt Trip" is arguably the more moving song." The staff of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' looked at the track's position on the album as "a brief thumper with Kanye once again looking back at a failed relationship" and claimed for his vocals to be "delivered as a hybrid of raps and singing." In an interview with '' Complex'' in February 2014, Kid Cudi revealed he had negative feelings about his feature, due to the vocals being a few years old. He also revealed West never told him he was going to be on the song; he found out via Twitter. He ultimately stated he felt "underused" on ''Yeezus'' and wished he wasn't on the song, due to him not being present at the recording sessions. Despite Kid Cudi's negative feelings toward his appearance, Charles Holmes of '' Complex'' placed the song at number two on the magazine's list of the best collaborations between West and Kid Cudi in August 2017, behind the 2010 song "
Gorgeous Gorgeous may refer to: Animals *Gorgeous barb, a species of cyprinid fish native to Africa *Gorgeous bushshrike, a bird in the family Malaconotidae *Gorgeous prawn goby, a species of goby native to tropical reefs of the Indian Ocean to the weste ...
". Holmes felt that the song "perfected" what the duo introduced on West's 2008 album ''808s & Heartbreak'' – "an entire sub-genre of rap with their melodic and heartfelt lyrics." Holmes ultimately felt Kid Cudi wasn't underused, writing: "If time has taught us anything it is that in Kanye's hand 50 seconds of Cudi hums and melodic ruminations speak more than some artist's entire careers."


Commercial performance

On the week of July 6, 2013, "Guilt Trip" peaked at number 2 on the US ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, remaining on it for a total of two weeks. The same week, it peaked at number 39 on the US ''Billboard'' On-Demand Songs chart.


Live performances

The song was performed live by West during the first concert of
The Yeezus Tour The Yeezus Tour was a concert tour by American rapper Kanye West in support of West's sixth solo studio album, '' Yeezus'' (2013). The venture served as West's first solo concert tour in five years. Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, Travis S ...
at Seattle's KeyArena in October 2013. The next month, West performed it at the first concert in New York City on the tour at the
Barclays Center Barclays Center is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty o ...
. In December 2013, he delivered a live performance of "Guilt Trip" at the New Orleans Arena as part of The Yeezus Tour. During the performance, anonymous female figures wearing robes braided themselves around him. The figures were also involved with West's performance of "
I Am a God "I Am a God" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). The song credits God as a featured performer. It was produced by West, Hudson Mohawke, Daft Punk. and Mike Dean, and includes vocals from Justi ...
" during the concert, holding him aloft.


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the ''Yeezus'' liner notes. * Songwriter – Kanye West,
Scott Mescudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...
, Cydel Young, Mike Dean, Larry Griffin, Jr.,
Keith Elam Keith Edward Elam (July 17, 1961April 19, 2010), better known by his stage name Guru (a backronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), was an American rapper and record producer. He was a member of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ P ...
,
Kevin Hansford K-Def (full name Kevin Hansford) (born June 17, 1970) is an American, New Jersey based, hip hop producer/ DJ who has been actively involved in the music industry since the early 1990s. He has recently produced music for artists such as Ghostface ...
, Dupre Kelly, Chris Martin, Al-Terik Wardrick, Marlon Williams,
Terrence Thornton Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 201 ...
, Tyree Pittman * Producer – Kanye West and Mike Dean #MWA * Additional production – Travis Scott and Ackee Juice Rockers * Additional programming – Noah Goldstein * Additional instruments ( cello) – Chris "Hitchcock" Chorney * Engineer – Noah Goldstein, Anthony Kilhoffer, and Mike Dean * Mix – Noah Goldstein at Shangri-La Studios, Malibu, CA * Mix assisted – Sean Oakley, Eric Lynn, Dave "Squirrel" Covell, and Josh Smith


Charts


References

{{authority control 2013 songs Experimental hip hop songs Kanye West songs Kid Cudi songs Song recordings produced by Kanye West Song recordings produced by Mike Dean (record producer) Songs written by Cyhi the Prynce Songs written by DJ Premier Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Kid Cudi Songs written by Marley Marl Songs written by Mike Dean (record producer) Songs written by Pusha T Songs written by Symbolyc One Songs written by Young Chop