Us Placers

"Us Placers" is the debut song of Child Rebel Soldier, a supergroup consisting of rap artists Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.^[1] The song was produced by Lupe Fiasco and contains samples of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser".^[2] The track appears on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape and has circulated throughout the internet.^[3] Having been released on an exclusive mixtape, the song did not enter the charts but became an online hit and received widespread critical appreciation, managing to become listed at number forty-three on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.^[4][5]

Background

"Us Placers" was produced by Lupe Fiasco, who initially crafted the song for inclusion within his own mixtape. Fiasco's intention was to create a mashup mixtape entitled, Us Placers, a hip-hop remake of alternative rock musician Thom Yorke's solo album, The Eraser coupled with a few Radiohead songs. He originally wanted Kanye West and English rapper The Streets to appear on the track. However, Streets failed to respond while West sent the song over to Pharrell Williams after laying down a verse. The three enjoyed the collaboration so much that they decided to form their very own group, and Pharrell came up with their name, Child Rebel Soldier.^[2][6] Early tracklistings for West's third studio album Graduation indicated that he intended to feature the group's song on his album, but it was subsequently not included.^[7]

Music and lyrics

"Us Placers" is an up-tempo hip hop song. It is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. The song contains samples of "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke, as it incorporates the song's piano loops along with portions of Yorke's vocals for its chorus. It begins with a medium tempo following its hesitant piano medley, with chords arranged in the progression of and Lupe uttering, "Yeah, just a lil' bit, just a lil' bit. And it goes..." Lupe, Kanye, and Pharrell then recite the song's three verses over a sparse, pulsating beat, each followed by the contrasting chorus provided by the vocal sample coupled with an alternating hook delivered by Lupe, whose vocals implement overdubbing.^[8] The song ends with an echoing reiteration of its piano keys.

Lyrically, the song, like its music, carries a somber tone and is largely retrospective. "Us Placers" discusses the empty lure of wealth, the perils of fame, and the price people pay in the pursuit of recognition.^[9][10] Lupe's verse addresses the over-indulgent lifestyles of celebrities and the false promise of materialism. Kanye muses over reality television and internet celebrity, implying the inevitable fate of all who become instantly famous if only for a short time. Pharrell takes a more stream-of-consciousness approach to his verse, swiftly addressing various issues ranging from greenhouse gases, drug dealers, the will of God and the motive behind the Virginia Tech massacre, indirectly connecting them all to the desire of recognition and notoriety. In between each verse, Yorke's melodious vocals sing a mournful chorus which complements the rap artists' concept of the sisyphean pursuit of fame.^[8]

Critical reception

Rolling Stone cited "Us Placers" as the best track on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. Complimenting the poignant use of the sample as well as the depth of the three'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 is rock. They’re quietly invincible.".^[8] Stylus Magazine concurred with this sentiment, describing the song as "deep" and praising the dexterity of Pharrell’s verse in particular.^[11]

Music video

Though the group has yet to release a music video for the song, an uncommisioned video was produced by director Va$htie.^[12] The video features ten-year-old child impersonators standing respectively in for Lupe, Kanye, Pharrell, and even Thom Yorke who illustrate imagery described in the song's lyrics and hold up cue cards in reference to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues".^[13] Despite its low-budget, unofficial nature, the video was very well-received, garnering well over one million views on YouTube alone. It has since gone on to have caught the attention of Kanye West, who expressed his affinity by posting the video up on his official blog.^[14]

Live performance

Lupe Fiasco provided a solo performance of "Us Placers" on August 5, 2007 during his set at Lollapalooza, to the delight of the largely alternative rock audience.^[15]

References

External links

• "Us Placers" music video on YouTube