Big Brother (Kanye West song)
"Big Brother" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the closing track on his third studio album, Graduation (2007). West co-wrote the song with Toomp, who was the sole producer. It originally utilized Prince's "It's Gonna Be Lonely" for the beat, until he refused to approve and a re-recording was done. The song was written by West as a tribute to his close friend and mentor Jay-Z, who has shown his appreciation for it. West first teased the song in August 2007 for the BBC Radio 1Xtra event "Audience with Kanye West". A hip hop song with synths, it features a varied pace of rapping from West. In the lyrics, West introspectively examines the complexities of his friendship with Jay-Z.
"Big Brother"
"Big Brother" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly lauded the theme. They often highlighted West's honesty and heavy detail, while some reviewers complimented the composition. Though not released as a single, the song peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. West first performed it at the Westminster Central Hall of Westminster, London in August 2007. During 2007, he and Jay-Z performed a rendition of the song and the latter's "Encore" on BET's 106 & Park, and JAM'N 94.5. Bobby Creekwater recorded a reinterpretation of the former in February 2009, dedicated to Eminem and their working relationship.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
Musically, "Big Brother" is a mid-tempo hip hop song.[17][18] It features synths, similar to those of fellow album track "I Wonder".[19] Throughout the song, West raps in a rawer style than most of his work.[18] His rapping pace varies from a swift delivery typical of hip hop to a slower style reminiscent of spoken word, accompanied by soft harmonies.[17]
The lyrics of "Big Brother" possess an honest, heartfelt examination of the complexities of West's relationship with Jay-Z.[20][21] West uses introspection to speak of their relationship, conveying emotion.[3][7][22][23] He narrates the highs and lows, recalling his lifelong admiration for Jay-Z and a rivalry they had.[24][25][26][27] As the song nears its conclusion, West expresses this admiration by altering the chorus to "My big brother was Big's brother/So here's a few words from ya kid brother/If you admire somebody you should go head and tell 'em/People never get the flowers while they can still smell 'em".[26] West also uses the chorus as a subsidiary dedication to his former mentor No I.D., who first taught him how to produce music.[28][29][30][31][32]
Release and reception[edit]
"Big Brother" was released as the thirteenth and final track on West's third studio album Graduation on September 11, 2007.[33] The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly appreciated the subject matter. Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune declared that "West is at his best" on the song as he owns "his flaws rather than brushing past them", paying tribute to Jay-Z while recalling "the slights and embarrassments he suffered at his hands".[34] Kot also pointed it out as the album's only instance of the music feeling "strictly like a backdrop, a gray wash that exists solely to frame West's rap".[34] Expressing a similar sentiment, NOW Magazine's Jason Richards lauded West's "acute honesty" throughout the song as he "narrates the highs and lows" of his relationship with Jay-Z.[24] Entertainment Weekly critic Neil Drumming wrote that the song's focus on their "strained relationship" is a "somber, self-critical" earnest moment, which "can't come soon enough".[35] Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania of RapReviews said that by going over the highs and lows of the relationship over the years, it creates "a fascinating episode of fly-on-the-wall reality" and focused particularly on the reference to Martin.[30] At USA Today, Brett Johnson called the song captivating and noted West's boldness to "bite the hand th[at] feeds him" by detailing the relationship.[25]
Making note of its "classic hip-hop storytelling framework" about Jay-Z and the "raw style" of West's rapping, Dave Heaton from PopMatters cited "Big Brother" as one of the tracks on Graduation that give off a "timeless hip-hop feeling".[18] In 2008, Maddy Costa for The Guardian included the track within a "Readers Recommend" column that discussed hero worship, writing, "Kanye West demonstrates more self-awareness in his thoughtful tribute to his brother-in-spirit, Jay-Z, exploring the complications of their fan-idol relationship, which grows trickier as the two become peers."[36] Writing for Pitchfork, Mark Pytlik thought that West comes close to "the mental hand-wringing of his early albums" with the subject matter.[26] Hillary Crosley of Billboard asserted that the lyrics about Jay-Z are "introspective enough to make fans cry"; Rolling Stone's Austin Scaggs similarly called the song a "a tear-jerking ode" to the rapper.[3][23] The Guardian critic Dorian Lynskey remarked that the subject matter "intertwines admiration and envy with fascinating honesty".[31] For Hot Press, John Walshe highlighted the "austere majesty" of the song.[37] Japie Stoppelenburg of No Ripcord said that it succeeds in copying the "razorblade synths" of "I Wonder".[19] The Observer reviewer Ben Thompson listed "Big Brother" as one of the five best tracks on Graduation and labeled it "utterly bizarre".[32] Del F. Cowie from Exclaim! stated that the track is stellar, but shows West "yearning for 'stadium status'".[38] Gregg LaGambina was negative in The A.V. Club, picking out the "awkward introspection" and seeing the song as awkward in general.[22]
Although it was not released as a single, "Big Brother" managed to enter and peak at number 19 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart for the issue date of September 22, 2007.[39]
Information taken from Graduation liner notes.[2]
Recording
Personnel