Wesley's Theory

"Wesley's Theory"
Song by Kendrick Lamar featuring George Clinton and Thundercat from the album To Pimp a Butterfly
Released March 15, 2015
Genre Alternative hip hop
Length 4:47
Label
Writer
Producer
To Pimp a Butterfly track listing

"Wesley's Theory"
(1)
"For Free? (Interlude)"
(2)

"Wesley's Theory" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, taken from his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015).[1] The song, which was produced by Flying Lotus, Flippa, Sounwave and Thundercat, features guest appearances from George Clinton and Thundercat.[2] "Wesley's Theory" contains elements of "Every Nigga is a Star", written and performed by Boris Gardiner. The song also features additional vocals from Dr. Dre, Anna Wise, Ash Riser, Josef Leimberg and Whitney Alford.[2]

Themes

The title is a reference to actor Wesley Snipes, who served a three-year jail sentence for willful failure to file federal income tax returns from 2010 to 2013. Lamar is critical of the way America targets successful African American entertainers like him who slip up financially. He explains that no one teaches poor black males how to manage money or celebrity, so if they do achieve success, the powers can easily be taken from right under them.[3]

Lamar said in an interview with MTV News: "The overall theme of the record, why I love it so much is because it talks about something we weren't taught in school when we get this money…," he continued. "So, you mean to tell me the moment I become successful and I get this money - and I don't know how to manage my money - that you're gonna throw me back in jail for taxes?"[4]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[5] 76
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[6] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 91
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] 33

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, February 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.