"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" is a song by American

rap rock Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...

group

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

, from their eighth studio album '' Hot Sauce Committee Part Two''. Featuring American singer

Santigold Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, '' Santogold'' (2008), was released by Atlantic Records and met with widespread critica ...

, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album on July 26, 2011. "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was written and produced by group members Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, with additional writing by Santigold. "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was the last Beastie Boys single released before the death of Adam Yauch.

Critical reception

"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Santigold's guest appearance and its

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

feel. Dave Simpson of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' wrote: "Santigold gives 'Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win' some instantly infectious pop reggae sunshine." Kyle Anderson of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' praised the song, calling it "a perfect reggae-kissed summer jam". Matt Diehl of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' called Santigold's guest appearance memorable, and wrote that she added to the track "Brooklyn dancehall fire and a welcome feminine contrast to the b-boy stances." Mark Richardson of ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

'' wrote that the pairing between the Beastie Boys and Santigold on the track "feels natural and obvious", adding that one "could argue that the Beastie Boys' polyglot approach in the 90s helped clear the way for her style, which mixes an ear for the sound of other cultures with a touch of Lower East Side artiness."

Music video

The music video for "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was directed by the group's longtime collaborator

Spike Jonze Adam Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze (), is an American Filmmaking, filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes films, commercials, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze ...

. In the video, the Beastie Boys, along with Santigold, are portrayed in action figure form. In the music video, the Beastie Boys play a concert that is attacked by enemy soldiers. After the Beastie Boys battle with the soldiers, Nazi Zombies reanimate from the snow to attack the Beastie Boys. A

yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. is an ape-like creature purported t ...

comes to their aid and kills the Nazi Zombies. The yeti then helps the Beastie Boys escape in a helicopter. More enemy soldiers with jet packs, shoot down the helicopter. The Beastie Boys parachute into shark infested waters, where they are rescued by submarine. A boat full of enemy soldiers attack the submarine with depth charges. The Beastie Boys manage to sink the boat full of enemy soldiers, and then go water skiing.

Formats and track listings

*;Digital download # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 2:51 # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 3:27 # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:12 # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:04 # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 3:32 # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:13 # "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:05

Charts

References

{{authority control 2011 singles Beastie Boys songs Capitol Records singles Santigold songs Music videos directed by Spike Jonze Songs written by Santigold Songs written by Ad-Rock Songs written by Mike D Songs written by Adam Yauch Nazi zombie films 2011 songs