"Illest Motherfucker Alive" (censored on the album as "Illest Motherf**ker Alive") is a song by American rappers
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
and
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 ...
. It is only available on their collaborative album ''
Watch the Throne
''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, collectively known as The Throne. It was released on August 8, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to the re ...
'' (2011) on the deluxe edition. The song features additional vocals by
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 ...
,
Bankulli
Abisagboola Oluseun John popularly known as Bankulli or Osha, is a Nigerian music executive, A&R, talent manager, singer, and songwriter, pioneering the African pop culture. He is the founder and CEO of Bankulli Entertainment, known for housin ...
, and Aude Cardona.
It samples "Tristessa" by Orchestra Njervudarov for an interlude.
Composition
The song includes a sample of "Tristessa" by Orchestra Njervudarov for the interlude played before it, which is also used for the interludes played after fellow album tracks "
No Church in the Wild", "New Day" and "
Welcome to the Jungle".
Producer
Southside revealed in an interview that he's responsible for the drums, the snares, the hi-hat and the breakdowns, and also that mostly all the synths were added by West.
Jay compares himself to
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
to
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
.
Release and recording
"Illest Motherfucker Alive" is only available on ''Watch the Throne'' as a bonus track on the deluxe edition. The involvement of Southside was due to him being in the studio whilst
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...
was co-producing West's song "
See Me Now" and being asked by West's manager for beats.
Critical reception
Brian Josephs of
''Complex'' viewed the track's presence on ''Watch the Throne'' as being "pretty much there for you to revere two impossibly rich black men". It was described by
Simon Price of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' as "brilliantly absurd" and he pointed out West's lines: "Bulletproof condom when I'm in these hoes/Got staples on my dick. Why? Fuckin' centrefolds".
Commercial performance
In the month of the album's release, the song peaked at number 4 on the US
''Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart and never managed to chart on it again.
Charts
References
{{authority control
2011 songs
Jay-Z songs
Kanye West songs
Song recordings produced by Kanye West
Song recordings produced by Mike Dean (record producer)
Song recordings produced by Southside (record producer)
Songs written by Jay-Z
Songs written by Kanye West
Songs written by Kid Cudi
Songs written by Mike Dean (record producer)
Songs written by Southside (record producer)