"Stay Up! (Viagra)" is the first single released from producer-rapper
88-Keys' debut album ''
The Death of Adam'' and features the album's co-executive producer
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
. The song samples "All Night Loving" by
British R&B three-piece band
Imagination. The single was released
digitally on August 25, 2008. According to both artists, the song, which follows the overall storyline of the
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
, is about a man named Adam, who after a bad string of relationships, decides to take
Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) in an attempt "stay up" longer.
A snippet of the track was first previewed on
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
's 2007 ''Can't Tell Me Nothing'' mixtape and featured an additional
spoken word verse delivered by
Malik Yusef.
Music video
The music video premiered across multiple
MTV channels all day on Monday, March 16, 2009.
Shot in
High Definition on the streets of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, the video features
88-Keys (Clifford) and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
(Rufus) dressed in full
prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup also known as special makeup effects or FX prosthesis, is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic special effects, effects. Prosthetics are used on stage and screen ...
made to appear in their late sixties, out on a night on the town. Utilizing the talents of makeup artist
Tony Gardner of Alterian Effects (''
Michael Jackson's Thriller'', ''
Hairspray'', ''
Shallow Hal
''Shallow Hal'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, Farrelly Brothers. The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black, with Jason Alexander, Joe Viterelli, and Susan Ward in supporting roles. Filming took pla ...
'', ''
Seed of Chucky'',
Daft Punk) the video creates an intimate and comedic look at the two real life friends.
According to director
Jason Goldwatch,
References
External links
Stay Up!on
Myspace
imeem Music
{{Kanye West songs
2008 debut singles
Kanye West songs
Songs written by Kanye West
Music videos directed by Jason Goldwatch
Songs written by Tony Swain (musician)
Songs written by Steve Jolley (songwriter)
2008 songs
Songs written by Leee John
Songs written by 88-Keys