Hip Hop Is Dead (song)
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| "Hip Hop Is Dead" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Nas | ||
| from the album Hip Hop Is Dead | ||
| Released | November 2006 (U.S.) 29 January 2007 (UK) |
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| Format | 12" Single/CD single | |
| Genre | Hip Hop | |
| Length | 3:45 | |
| Label | Def Jam/Ill Will | |
| Writer(s) | Nasir Jones William Adams, Jr. Jerry Lordan Doug Ingle |
|
| Producer(s) | will.i.am | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Nas singles chronology | ||
| "Just a Moment" (2005) |
"Hip Hop Is Dead" (2006) |
"Can't Forget About You" (2006) |
| Alternate cover | ||
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| Promo single cover | ||
Hip Hop Is Dead was the first single taken from Nas' 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead. It was produced by and featured founding member of The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am. It peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[1] as well as #41 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The lyrics deal with the death of hip hop as Nas explains in the third verse:
| “ | Everybody sound the same, commercialize the game Reminiscin' when it wasn't all business It forgot where it started So we all gather here for the dearly departed |
” |
To start the second verse, Nas says, "the bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin'," referencing the introduction of "Steady Mobbin'" by Ice Cube. Other references include "David Stern with his NBA fashion issues."
Contents |
[edit] Original samples
"Hip Hop Is Dead" contains samples of "Apache" as performed by the Incredible Bongo Band, an instrumental song written by Jerry Lordan and originally performed by The Shadows. It also contains a sample of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" as performed by the Incredible Bongo Band, written by Doug Ingle and originally performed by Iron Butterfly. Nas previously used this same interpolation on his 2004 single "Thief's Theme".
[edit] Censorship
On the album, both original and edited, the lyrics have been altered to remove profanities and gun references. The un-edited version can be found on file-sharing websites and various mixtapes. The main part of the song that is constantly changed is the hook. The different versions of the hook are:
- The hook featured on the single:
"If hip hop should die before I wake / I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK / Roll to every station, murder the DJ / Roll to every station, murder the DJ"
- The hook featured on the album:
"If hip hop should die before I wake / I'll put an extended clip and body 'em all day! / Roll to every station, wreck the DJ! / Roll to every station, wreck the DJ!"
[edit] Track listing
- "Hip Hop Is Dead" (Clean)
- "Hip Hop Is Dead" (Instrumental)
- "Where Y'all At" (Explicit)
[edit] Charts
| Chart (2007) [1] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 41 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 48 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 35 |
[edit] References
- ^ All Music Guide: Hip Hop Is Dead? All Music Guide/Billboard. Retrieved on December 6, 2006
| Nas |
|---|
| Discography |
| Albums |
|
Illmatic · It Was Written · The Firm: The Album · I Am... · Nastradamus · QB's Finest · Stillmatic · The Best of Nas · The Lost Tapes · From Illmatic to Stillmatic: The Remixes EP · God's Son · Street's Disciple · Hip Hop Is Dead · The Lost Tapes 2 |
| Singles |
|
Solo singles: "Halftime" · "It Ain't Hard to Tell" · "The World Is Yours" · "Life's a Bitch" · "One Love" · "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" · "Street Dreams" · "Escobar '97" · "Nas Is Like" · "Hate Me Now" · "Nastradamus" · "Analyze This · "You Owe Me" · "Got Ur Self A..." · "One Mic" · "Made You Look" · "I Can" · "Get Down" · "Thief's Theme" · "Bridging the Gap" · "Just a Moment" · "Hip Hop Is Dead" · "Can't Forget About You" · "Better Than I've Ever Been" |
| Related articles |
|
Nas vs. Jay-Z feud · Ill Will Records · Belly · The Bravehearts · Kelis · AZ · Foxy Brown · Nature · Cormega |
