| "New Slaves" | |
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| Song byKanye West | |
| from the albumYeezus | |
| Released | June 18, 2013 |
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| Genre | |
| Length | 4:16 |
| Label | |
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"New Slaves" is a song by American rapperKanye West from his sixth studio album,Yeezus (2013). The song features additional vocals fromFrank Ocean. It was produced by West and co-produced byBenjamin Bronfman, whileMike Dean,Noah Goldstein,Travis Scott, Sham Joseph, andChe Pope contributed additional production. West, Bronfman, and Dean co-wrote the song with Ocean,Cyhi the Prynce,Malik Yusef,Rhymefest, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer,King Louie, and Anna Adamis, withGábor Presser receiving credit due to asample of his composition. In May 2013, the song was previewed byHudson Mohawke at the Polish Free Form Festival and formally announced byVirgil Abloh. West debuted it withvideo projections of him rapping on buildings worldwide in locations like Los Angeles, London, and Amsterdam.
Anindustrial hip hop,political rap, andgothic rock song withelectro andheavy metal elements, the production of "New Slaves" isminimalist and based onsynths. The song samples "Gyöngyhajú lány" byOmega and "HBA War" byDutch E Germ. Lyrically, West discussesracial politics as he connects black people's wealth classes to howconsumerism holds them back. The song received widespread acclaim frommusic critics, who mostly highlighted West's lyrical message about racism. Some commended the style of the industrial production and saw it as an album highlight, while a few critics praised Ocean's contributions. The song was listed as one of the best tracks of 2013 by multiple publications, includingComplex andPaste. At the56th Annual Grammy Awards, it received a nomination forBest Rap Song.
In the United States, "New Slaves" reached number 56 on theBillboard Hot 100 and was certifiedgold by theRecording Industry Association of America. West first performed it live onSaturday Night Live in May 2013, backed by projections of his face and discount price tag images. Later that year, he performed the song duringThe Yeezus Tour (2013–14). West stated that its second verse was the best rap verse of all time in July 2013. Presser issued a lawsuit over the song's allegedly unauthorized sample of "Gyöngyhajú lány" in May 2016, accusing West of not having made a formal deal. The two reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in March 2017, although it was reported that Presser had known of the sample prior to release.Hit-Boy re-worked the song on "New Chains" in July 2013, which was inspired by the freedom ofJames Somersett.
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In 2011, singerFrank Ocean was featured on the tracks "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America" forKanye West and fellow rapperJay-Z's collaborative albumWatch the Throne. After the appearances, Ocean developed more of a following and embarked on a tour for his debut albumChannel Orange (2012). Ocean appeared on "New Slaves" in 2013, the same year as his feature on Jay-Z's song "Oceans".[1] The singer's vocals on the song were revealed during West'svideo projections prior to release, with his mother confirming the appearance viaTwitter.[2] "New Slaves" was produced by West and co-produced byBenjamin Bronfman, with additional production fromMike Dean,Noah Goldstein, Sham Joseph,Che Pope, andGOOD Music signeeTravis Scott. The first three producers served as songwriters with Ocean,Cyhi the Prynce,Malik Yusef,Rhymefest, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer,King Louie, and Anna Adamis, with Hungarian composerGábor Presser receiving a songwriting credit due to the sample of "Gyöngyhajú lány".[3][4] AfterYeezus production consultantArca introduced West to "HBA War" byDutch E Germ, hesampled it on the track.[5]
On May 12, 2013, Scottish producerHudson Mohawke previewed the song during his set at the Polish Free Form Festival. The preview featured the phrase "new slaves" repeatedly, although the title was not officially known nor if it would be on the album at the time.[6][7] "New Slaves" was subsequently confirmed as the title by West confidant and fashion designerVirgil Abloh, and the song was also announced to be part ofYeezus.[7] A 73-second snippet of the studio version wasleaked toSoundCloud on June 5, 2013, becoming the first leak from the album.[8] In a 2014 interview with Zach Baron ofGQ, West recalled having engaged in around 30 meetings where he was advised to "Stay in your place".[9] West elaborated that the conversations encouraged to "Stay in your box" and not go outside of his creative reach, which moved him to create tracks such as "New Slaves" and "Blood on the Leaves" forYeezus, ideally setting out "a protest in music".[9]
Musically, "New Slaves" is anindustrial hip hop,[10][11]political rap,[12] andgothic rock song,[13] with elements ofelectro andheavy metal music.[14][15] Its production is based on sparse,[10][16] pulsingsynths.[15][17][18] The synths have astaccato rhythm that consists ofstabs,[19] with influences ofpunk rock rather than West's signature kicks andsnares.[13][20][21] The song has aminimalist melody,[22][23] including a rhythmicbreakdown,[24] choral swirl,[14] andKen Lewis' noises and vocal sounds.[3] It begins with a soft, darkbassline.[25][26] The beginning also features a slowed sample of Dutch E Germ's "HBA War", which is interrupted by a three-note riff.[5][27] For the outro, it moves into achipmunk soulcoda that lasts for a minute and 15 seconds.[23][28][29] The coda combinespitch-altered vocals from Ocean with a sample of the 1969 single "Gyöngyhajú lány" by Hungarian bandOmega.[30] West delivers an aggressive performance,[17][23] rapping indouble-time and he does not deliver anyhooks.[22][31] Towards the end, he utilizesAuto-Tune to sing.[25]
In the lyrics of "New Slaves", West links the wealth of different classes of black people to the counterproductiveconsumerism holding them back,[21][31][32][33] referencingracial politics as he comparessegregation tocapitalism and companies controlling the citizens.[26][34][35] He addresses the economic disparity between poor and richAfrican Americans,[36] comparing the poor's racism of "Don't touch anything in the store" to the rich's "Come in, please buy more" in the first verse.[14][19][32] The rapper blames the government andprison–industrial complex of the United States[36][37][38] for the lack of a black middle class,[32] accusing theDrug Enforcement Administration of working with theCorrections Corporation of America.[39] West acknowledges the situation of leaders like himself and their followers,[17] declaring that he would "rather be a dick than a swallower".[10][25] He intones the N-word repeatedly and also mentions seeing "Blood on the Leaves", a reference toBillie Holiday's song "Strange Fruit" that is sampled on the album's track of the quote's name.[21][40] West threatens prison owners living inthe Hamptons ofLong Island as he insults their spouses and houses towards the end,[27][38][41] followed by Ocean delivering a freestylefalsetto that includes coos on the outro.[25][28]
"New Slaves" was included as the fourth track on West's sixth studio album,Yeezus, released on June 18, 2013, through his labelsDef Jam andRoc-A-Fella.[10] Prior to the song's release, West unveiled it with video projections at 66 buildings across the world on May 17, 2013. West posted the locations and times of the screenings via his website, including Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Toronto.[7][42] Ablack and white projection of West staring onwards rapping the song was shown; Miriam Coleman ofRolling Stone said that the simplicity "provided a striking context for the rapper's searing lyrics on race and materialism".[7][43] The projections launched the promotion ofYeezus, concluding with its title and release date of June 18, 2013.[43][44] They were also shared viaYouTube andVine.[7][44] Another projection atMiami Beach, Florida was shut down by police,[45] albeit leaving fans excited and eager to see the song's then-upcoming performance onSaturday Night Live (SNL).[46]
West updated his website's map with 24 other locations for projections on May 24, 2013. The locations included US cities likeAtlanta,Austin, andPhiladelphia, in addition to European cities such as Amsterdam,Birmingham, and Milan.[47][48] Three of the projections were cancelled in Houston, including one at theRothko Chapel due to a lack of permit.[39] West also cancelled a screening inSan Antonio for the same reason.[49] West followed the projections of "New Slaves" by projecting other songs from the album on buildings across the world in June 2013, including North America, Europe, and Oceania.[50] On December 23, 2013, West ranted during a concert at Toronto'sAir Canada Centre onThe Yeezus Tour that the song was part of the representations of "the opportunities and the blessings that I had in my life".[51] West tweeted that the song's second verse was the best rap verse of all time in July 2013,[52] an opinion he reiterated in his interview withGQ one year later.[9]
"New Slaves" was met with widespread acclaim frommusic critics, with general praise for West's lyrics about racism.Robert Christgau ofMSN Music cited "New Slaves" as a highlight of the album, as didThe Daily Telegraph's Helen Brown.[53][54] Brown said that West takes on racism "with a ferocious urgency", despite the message becoming confusing.[54] Writing forDrowned in Sound, Kyle Ellison hailed the song as the strongest track onYeezus with its message of "anger and self-hatred", calling out "society's culture of aspiration" from West's insider position within society.[34] He elaborated that West demands for listens by moving towards "the brutalist, industrial arrangements", deploying the "consumer and race politics" from throughout his career.[34] Also picking "New Slaves" as the album's best track for theLos Angeles Times, Randall Roberts lauded it as a jam with "a nuanced rhythmic breakdown" that is just as aggressive "as it is hardened".[24] Michael Madden ofConsequence saw clarity in West's concept linking blacks of different classes with consumerism, listing it as one of the "essential tracks" ofYeezus.[32] ForThe Fly, Alex Denney noticed how West manages to "swipe the double-time raps ofKendrick Lamar" and take fromLex Luger's production techniques for his minimalist work, calling out the racism of those assuming blacks "want nothing more than the symbols of conspicuous consumption" while condemning the prison–industrial complex.[22] InMusicOMH, Jordan Mainzer was taken aback by the track's discussion of the economic and class differences between different African Americans. Mainzer elaborated that West laments the lack of a middle class for the group as he characterizes a larger society as "in on preventing it from flourishing", seeing the track as a version ofKiller Mike'sR.A.P. Music (2012) with Ocean's stylized outro.[36] Jamie Milton ofDIY was impressed with the track not holding back on its double-meanings by perfecting a "documentation of expectations on [the classes of] black America".[30] He thought it jumps rapidly from the abrasive verses to Ocean's cries supported by the "Gyöngyhajú lány" sample, "a eureka moment" that validates the album's almost unattainable expectations.[30]
Several reviewers highlighted the industrial production. AtThe Line of Best Fit, Chris Tapley expressed that the track makes up for the album's lack of bold messages with its socially-conscious lyrics and Ocean's chipmunk soul outro. Tapley observed how the track demonstrates West's "leaner, more aggressive and militant" material, creating an ideal canvas from "caustic beats" and a stark minimalist melody.[23]Tiny Mix Tapes's Alex Griffin praised West's ability to take on black consumerism and called the outro reminiscent ofWu-Tang Clan's "I Can't Go To Sleep" (2001), noting the piece's emotion and that West still has "more work to be done".[55] Evan Rytlewski fromThe A.V. Club called the track "menacing" and praised its triumphant coda with Ocean's freestyle, although felt that the beat becomes "staticky and blown out" as its prettiness experiencesdistortion.[28] Jim Farber of theNew York Daily News felt that the song creates the setting for the reimagining of industrial rock onYeezus, describing the prominent synths as recalling the sound of rap acts from the1990s. Farber noted that the "heavy metal girth [...] still swings" and called the sampling of "Gyöngyhajú lány" the album's "most cool, and obscure, sample".[15] ForPopMatters, David Amidon viewed the track as West's attempt atMichael Jackson's 1990s singles "Scream" and "Stranger in Moscow" as he evokes his "most paranoid royalty".[56] Amidon stated West has "the fire and brimstone ofGame of Thrones' Mad King", although found Ocean's "spot to nod atJames Fauntleroy" to be distracting.[56]Exclaim's Vish Khanna declared that the song features a "pulsing, simmer-to-boil rage" as West asserts his leader status in music, yet this is frustrating for him acting "like such an asshole".[17] Justin Hunte fromHipHopDX stated that West "bumrushes impeccably" on the track, dedicated to removing "the glossy trimmings, flexing a sense of addition by subtraction".[38] Hunte was also intrigued by how West criticizes prison owners and their spouses from the Hamptons, yet later raps about a club being packed on fellowYeezus track "Send It Up".[38]
Following the release ofYeezus, the track entered the USBillboard Hot 100 at number 56, lasting for two weeks.[57] It further reached number 17 on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[58] In April 2015, "New Slaves" was awarded agold certification from theRecording Industry Association of America for pushing 500,000 certified units in the US.[59] The track also reached numbers 97 and 99 on theUK Singles Chart andCanadian Hot 100, respectively.[60][61]
"New Slaves" was named to year-end lists of multiple publications in 2013.Complex andTime both ranked "New Slaves" as the best song of 2013; Dave Bry of the former publication commented that even though various artists outsold West, no one came close to being "as artistically powerful".[13][62] Bry compared the song to the four bass notes ofDr. Dre andSnoop Dogg's "Deep Cover" (1992), while he found it "higher-minded [and] more ambitious" with a different audience.[13] It was named the second best track of 2013 byPitchfork, whoseJayson Greene highlighted the awareness of West's lyricism and called the track "the leanest and grisliest piece of music" onYeezus.[40]Consequence named it the third best song of the year, while the song was ranked at number four onThe Village Voice'sPazz & Jop poll.[63][64] "New Slaves" was listed as the eighth best song of 2013 byPaste, with Tyler Kane writing that its sparse synth-based production sets the scene for the album as West "deconstructs modern ownership and the social constructs" tying people to lives defined by consumption.[16]
Beats Per Minute named "New Slaves" as the 60th best track of the past five years up to 2013; Brendan Frank commented that while its premiere was not smooth, the track makes the most of the album'selectronic aesthetic. Frank praised West for showing his angry side, feeling he has a varied subject matter from "the effects of race on consumerism to ejaculating on trophy wives".[65] In August 2014, "New Slaves" was ranked as the 51st best song of the 2010s decade so far byPitchfork. Craig Jenkins of the publication depicted that West "bookended the state-of-the-disenfranchised address" of his 2004 single "Jesus Walks" as he still found closed doors to pass in his position of power, having "weaponized [his] livewire awareness" of race and wealth's crossover points.[31] The song was nominated forBest Rap Song at the2014 Grammy Awards, ultimately losing to "Thrift Shop" byMacklemore & Ryan Lewis featuringWanz.[66]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex | The 50 Best Songs of 2013 | 1 | |
| Consequence | Top 50 Songs of 2013 | 3 | |
| Fact | The 100 Best Tracks of 2013 | 40 | |
| Goûte mes disques | Top Singles of 2013 | 11 | |
| Jenesaispop | Top Songs of 2013 | 24 | |
| laut.de | Top Songs of 2013 | 6 | |
| NME | 50 Best Tracks of 2013 | 36 | |
| No Ripcord | Top 40 Tracks of 2013 | 13 | |
| Paste | The 50 Best Songs of 2013 | 8 | |
| Pitchfork | The Top 100 Tracks of 2013 | 2 | |
| Time | The 25 Best Songs of 2013 | 1 | |
| The Village Voice | ThePazz & Jop Music Critics Poll 2013 | 4 |
Prior to the album's release, West performed "New Slaves", along with "Black Skinhead", forSNL on May 18, 2013. West stood in place and looked dead-eyed into the camera as he performed with backing from a projection of eyes, while he wore an all-black outfit that included a studded leather jacket.[69][70][71] A video screen showed a projection of a close-up of West's face and discount price tag images, including "new slaves" and "not for sale".[72][73][74] West growled his lyrics and made them more appropriate for TV, such as changing "dick" to "prick."[70][75] The rapper subsequently performed the song with the "not for sale" images at theGovernors Ball Music Festival on June 9, 2013.[76][77] The performance caused the ground beneath the crowd to shake and during interludes between West's verses, he paused to take breaths.[78][79] West delivered ana capella performance of the song during the album's listening party inBasel on June 12, 2013.[80] Travis Scott brought West out to perform the track at theEl Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on August 1.[81] On September 20, 2013, West performed the song for an extended episode ofLater... with Jools Holland with backing vocals from his collaboratorCharlie Wilson. West delivered a stripped-down,acoustic rendition based on piano keys that removed the synths.[82]
West incorporated five spelled-out movements into The Yeezus Tour (2013–14), beginning with the "Fighting" movement that featured him performing "New Slaves".[83] During his tour performance atBrooklyn'sBarclays Center on November 20, 2013, West kept his face away from the microphone at the beginning.[12] The rapper was brought out by his associateTyler, the Creator to perform the song atOdd Future Carnival on November 9, 2013, after which the two exchanged a hug.[84] West made an unannounced appearance onDave Chappelle's comedy show atRadio City Music Hall inMidtown Manhattan, New York City on June 20, 2014, which included a performance of the track.[85] On April 21, 2015, West performed the song as part of a medley of tracks from throughout his career at theTime 100 gala.[86] West delivered a medley of his 2012 single "Mercy" with "New Slaves" at theGlastonbury Festival 2015, which featured the audience shouting the track's "swallower" line.[87][88]
On May 20, 2016, Presser launched a lawsuit against West for one third of "New Slaves", alleging that it includes an unauthorized sample of his work "Gyöngyhajú lány", which he called one of Hungary and Eastern Europe's "most beloved pop songs ever".[4][89][90] West had previously been sued for sampling onYeezus in 2013, withPonderosa Twins Plus One singer Ricky Spicer citing a lack of compensation for a sample on "Bound 2".[90] The lawsuit revealed that West was granted permission for the "New Slaves" sample on the case of a formal deal being arranged and the rapper gave Presser a $10,000 check as he insisted for a license to be granted within 24 hours, although he chose not to cash the cheque. Presser filed a complaint in theUS District Court for the Southern District of New York that cited West's intentions of having "misappropriated [the] plaintiff's composition" and alleged the defendants were not willing "to deal fairly with plaintiff" once they learnt of his theft, seeking $2.5 million.[4][89][90]
On March 20, 2017, West and Presser reached an out-of-court settlement with an undisclosed amount; he was previously set to go to trial on March 22.[11][29][91] A report further revealed that Presser was aware of West's sample since the projections for the song prior to release, although he allowed the sample for another week before seeking an agreement.[11][29] Presser said he was "very glad it is over", while his lawyer called the resolution amicable.[91]
On July 8, 2013, California record producer and former West associateHit-Boy shared his re-worked version of "New Slaves" entitled "New Chains".[92][93] The version adds glitchy elements, incorporating a beat switch, guitar solo, distorted vocals, andprog-rock synths, while it omits the original's outro.[92][93][94] Lyrically, it is inspired by British slaveJames Somersett, who usedEnglish and Welsh law to free himself in 1772.[93][94] An accompanyingmusic video was shared that shows Hit-Boy watching old footage of chain gangs, accompanied by two impeded ladies wearing shiny swimsuits.[94]
On July 31, 2013, rapperAngel Haze covered the song because she was "bored" and shared afree download. The cover adds new lines such as "My mother was raised in the era when/Crack rock lived in the veins of our heroines", although it keeps the original's chorus.[95][96]Lil Wayne released his mixtapeDedication 5 on September 1, 2013, featuring his track "New Slaves" where he raps over the song's instrumental.[97] West collaboratorPusha T released his debut albumMy Name Is My Name in October, which samples "New Slaves" on the track "King Push".[98]
Credits are adapted from theYeezus liner notes.[3]
Recording
Personnel
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[61] | 99 |
| France (SNEP)[99] | 152 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[100] | 97 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[101] | 20 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[57] | 56 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[58] | 17 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[102] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)| Studio albums | |
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| Visual albums | |
| Mixtapes | |
| Singles | |
| Featured singles | |
| Other songs | |
| Related articles | |
