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| "Us Placers" | |
|---|---|
| Song byChild Rebel Soldier | |
| from the albumCan't Tell Me Nothing | |
| Released | May 27, 2007 |
| Recorded | 2007 |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Length | 3:53 |
| Label | 1st & 15th,GOOD,Star Trak |
| Songwriters | Wasalu Muhammad Jaco,Kanye West,Pharrell Williams,Thom Yorke |
| Producer | Lupe Fiasco |
"Us Placers" is the debut song by American supergroupChild Rebel Soldier, a musical collaboration consisting of Americanhip-hop artistsLupe Fiasco,Kanye West, andPharrell Williams.[1] It was released as the third song on the track-listing of West's 2007 mixtapeCan't Tell Me Nothing. The song was produced by Fiasco andsamples the 2006 song "The Eraser" byThom Yorke.[2] In "Us Placers," the trio speaks on the entrapments of fame. Having been released on a free mixtape, the song did not enter the charts but became an online hit and received strong reviews frommusic critics.[3]
"Us Placers" was produced byLupe Fiasco, who initially crafted the song for inclusion within hismixtape. He intended to create amashup mixtape of the same name, ahip-hop remake of Englishalternative rock musicianThom Yorke's 2006 solo albumThe Eraser, along with a fewRadiohead songs. Fiasco originally wantedKanye West, who also deeply enjoyed Yorke's album, andEnglish hip-hop groupThe Streets to appear on the track.[2][4] However, the Streets failed to respond while West sent the song over toPharrell Williams after laying down a verse. The three enjoyed the collaboration so much that they decided to form their very own group. It was Williams who came up with their name,Child Rebel Soldier.[2][5] According to Fiasco, "It was Pharrell's idea one day in the studio 'cause we're all similar, same likes and same dislikes, same goals and aspirations."[6] Early track listings for West's third studio albumGraduation indicated that he intended to feature the group's song on his album, but it was subsequently not included.[7]
"Us Placers" is an up-tempohip-hop song. It is set in thetime signature ofcommon time with a moderatetempo of 120beats per minute.[citation needed] The song contains samples ofThom Yorke's 2006 song "The Eraser", incorporating itspiano loops and a portion of Yorke's vocals for itschorus. It begins with a medium tempo followed by a hesitant piano melody, with Fiasco uttering, "Yeah, just a lil' bit, just a lil' bit. And it goes..." Fiasco, West and Williams, listed in order of appearance, then rap the song's threeverses over a sparse, pulsating beat.[8] Each verse is organized around a chorus that is provided by the melodic vocal sample.[9] The chorus is coupled with a harmonichook delivered by Fiasco, whose vocals implementoverdubbing. During the chorus, the song's chord progression changes to and takes on a more moody, atmospheric sound.[10] The song ends with an echoing reiteration of its piano keys.
Lyrically, "Us Placers" is a meditation on the perils of fame.[9][11] Fiasco's verse depicts the over-indulgent lifestyles of rich and famous celebrities.[11] In a stoic voice, he rapidly raps an extensive list of materialistic possessions, including a large mansion, a wardrobe full of exorbitant clothes,Mexican floral arrangers, a big-screen television, and a fifty-footyacht.[11] Fiasco brings his verse to a close by making a declaration regarding the emptiness of opulence.[9] West uses his verse to expound the ephemerality of fame.[12] Citing aspiring participants ofreality television programs such asThe Real World andAmerican Idol andinternet celebrities as examples, he implies the fate of those who become instantly famous if only for a short time, in that once theirfifteen minutes of fame are over, they then fade away into obscurity, possibly never to enter the public eye ever again.[11] Williams takes a morestream-of-consciousness approach to his verse. He swiftly touches on a series of social issues ranging fromgreenhouse gases,drug dealers, the willGod and troubled youth.[8] Williams concludes his verse by exposing the motive behind theVirginia Tech shooting. He states the irony ofthe suicidal shooter, in that he finally achieved the fame and recognition he sought in life, but is not alive to see it.[11] After each verse, Yorke's melodious vocals sing a mournful yet defiant chorus that complements the song's concept of thesisyphean pursuit of fame: "The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear."[8]
"Us Placers" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from music critics and was widely regarded as the highlight of theCan't Tell Me Nothing mixtape.Rolling Stone not only cited the song as the best track on the mixtape but also placed it at number forty-three on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[13] Complimenting the poignant use of the sample as well as the depth of the trio's individual verses, it wrote, "Each brings something wholly new to the other, trading self-effacement and self-possession back and forth until there's no difference between the two. For this 3:53, hip-hop isn't dead, and neither isrock. They're quietly invincible."[8] Thomas Inskeep ofStylus Magazine described "Us Placers" as being both deep and intelligent and praised the dexterity of Williams' verse in particular.[14]Toronto Star columnist John Sakamoto wrote that the recording was a "stunning collaboration."[15]Greg Kot ofChicago Tribune stated that the song was brilliant whileEntertainment Weekly called it an "instant Internet classic."[16][17] Luke Lewis ofQ Magazine felt it was a shame that "Us Placers" would not be featured on Fiasco's then-forthcoming sophomore album,Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, as he believed that the song's guest appearances and lyrical content "all adds up to the most atmospheric, and quietly enthralling, hip-hop track we've heard in a long time."[10] Two years later, while reviewing hisEnemy of the State: A Love Story mixtape, Allison Stewart fromThe Washington Post retrospectively referred to "Us Placers" as "the great '07 track" and commended Fiasco's production of the song."[18] AtAbout.com, "Us Placers" was placed at number thirty-two on their list of the Top 100 Rap Songs of 2007 and later at number eighty-three on their 100 Best Rap Songs of the 2000s.[19][20]
Though no officialmusic video for "Us Placers" was released, a non-commissioned video was produced by music video directorVa$htie.[21] The video features then-ten-year-old child impersonators standing in for Fiasco, West, Williams and Yorke. They lip-sync to and illustrate the song's lyrics and hold up cue cards in reference toBob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues".[22] Despite its "zero-budget," unofficial nature, the music video was very well received, garnering well over two million views onYouTube alone. It went on to catch the attention of West, who expressed his affinity for it by posting the video up on his official blog.[23]
Fiasco performed "Us Placers" on August 5, 2007 during his set atLollapalooza, to the delight of the largely alternative rock audience.[24]
