Black Skinhead
"Black Skinhead" (also stylized as "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD") is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Daft Punk. The song's lyrics center on racial tensions and the crumbling mental state of the character West portrays on the album. The song premiered on Saturday Night Live in May 2013, with West performing it in front of a projected backdrop. He has since performed the song live on various occasions, including at the Glastonbury Festival and the Billboard Music Awards in 2015. It was universally praised by music critics and ranked by numerous sites, including Rolling Stone and NME, as one of the best tracks of 2013. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Nick Knight and features computer-generated imagery of West, with interactive options including "screen grabbing" and adjusting the speed of his vocals. The video was released in July 2013 and has received positive reviews from critics.
"Black Skinhead"
June 19, 2013
2012–2013
3:08
- Kanye West
- Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
- Thomas Bangalter
- Cydel Young
- Malik Jones
- Elon Rutberg
- Wasalu Jaco
- Sakiya Sandifer
- Mike Dean
- Derrick Watkins
- West
- Daft Punk
- Gesaffelstein[a]
- Brodinski[a]
- Dean[a]
- Lupe Fiasco[a]
- Jack Donoghue[a]
- Noah Goldstein[a]
Although West initially said Yeezus would have no singles, "Black Skinhead" became the first single released from the album. It was serviced to contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom one day after the album's release. On July 2, 2013, the single was sent to urban contemporary radio stations in the United States. The song charted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Canada, Belgium and Australia in 2013 and 2014. It has since been certified platinum in the United States, the United Kingdom and Denmark. American singer Jack White covered the song in June 2014. A remix featuring Miley Cyrus and Travis Scott, recorded shortly after the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, leaked online in January 2016.
Composition[edit]
"Black Skinhead" has an industrial-sounding beat, and is part of the Yeezus character's opening segment of gnarled electro and pounding industrial rap.[14][15] West begins the song with the lines: "For my theme song/My leather black jeans on/My by-any-means on" a reference to "Good Morning", the opening track of his third studio album Graduation.[6] These lines use a "simple aesthetic touch"—leather black jeans—to envelope Yeezus, the character West portrays, in black, rugged gear. This reflects his awareness, expressed on his 2005 single "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", that money and possessions are often equated with self-worth by young black men.[6] The old West is gone. "Black Skinhead" is "now his theme music. This grimy, grungy tone that doesn't require just any jeans, but leather black jeans."[6] The song's lyrics do not mention Malcolm X or the Civil Rights Movement. "But when we make the connections between 'by any means necessary' (Malcolm’s famous phrase) and the jeans call-back to "Good Morning," and the reference to a cultural movement associated with rebellion, the ghost of Malcolm X and the Civil Rights Movement of the ’50s and ’60s comes alive." Yeezus views himself as not only a political leader for the Black community, but a superhero.[6] West raps: "Pardon, I'm getting my scream on" in the fourth line and screams in frustration throughout the song.[16][17] The rest of song sees Yeezus discussing "racial tensions and his own crumbling mental state."[6] The "manic repetition" of "Black" shows there is "so much more at stake" for him.[6] West ends the song by repeating "God!" in an exasperated way. Yeezus is a "leader frustrated by the inaction of his people: 'These niggas ain't doin' shit'." He "mutates the external idea of God into an internal one", which leads into the next track "I Am a God" where he "hypes himself up."[6]
Release and promotion[edit]
Before the album's release, West performed "Black Skinhead" on the May 18, 2013, broadcast of the American sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live,[18] where he also performed "New Slaves".[18] He performed the song in front of a projected backdrop, which alternated between abstractly disturbing black-and-white imagery with colorful vintage price tags and the declaration "Not for sale."[18] His performance was met with positive critical reviews. Chris Martins of Spin described it as providing "the sort of aplomb and production value that the show hasn't felt since ... well, probably the last time West visited", noting "'Black Skinhead' documents Ye's dynamic transition from rap champ to rock star."[19] Stereogum's Liz Pelly branded the song an "aggressive new track" and claimed that "West's stage presence on SNL was full of rage."[20] Philip Cosores of Paste commented on the performance, writing: "The song comes from somewhere usually only seen in small clubs or basements, and the images of vicious dogs adds to the focal point, the angriest dog in a sense."[21] After the performance, Daft Punk were revealed as the song's composers and West shared a photo of the handwritten lyrics via Twitter.[2][18] Although West initially said no singles would be released from the album, "Black Skinhead" was released on June 18, 2013. It is the second track on West's sixth studio album Yeezus,[22] and was sent to UK contemporary hit radio stations on June 19.[23][24] West had previously spoken about avoiding a full-court press roll-out for his album, saying at a listening session in New York: "I have this new strategy, it's called no strategy."[25] On June 28, 2013, Def Jam Recordings confirmed the song would be serviced to US radio stations as the first single from Yeezus at the same time as a clean version was released to DJs.[25] The label also revealed that a music video for the song was in production.[25] Following the announcement, "Black Skinhead" was released officially on July 2 to US urban contemporary radio stations.[26] West was set to perform the song at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, 2013, but ended up performing "Blood on the Leaves" instead.[27][28]
Commercial performance[edit]
After its release as a single in the United States, "Black Skinhead" entered charts in North America. The track debuted at number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[56] In the same week as its Hot 100 debut, the track also entered at number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[57] On the Canadian Hot 100, the song reached number 66.[58]
The track charted in several countries worldwide. After being released as a single in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2013, "Black Skinhead" debuted at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and eventually peaked at number 34.[59][60] It remained there for a total of 16 weeks and ranked as the 197th best-selling single of 2013 in the United Kingdom.[60][61] In Scotland, the track also reached the top 40, charting at number 31 on the Scottish Singles Chart.[62] The track reached number 55 on the Irish Singles Chart and charted at number 58 and 59 on the ARIA Singles Chart and the Belgium Ultratip Flanders chart respectively.[63][64][65] Its lowest chart position was in France at number 105 on the SNEP chart.[66]
On October 17, 2014, "Black Skinhead" was certified Platinum in Denmark,[67] and in the United States by the RIAA on October 13, 2015.[68] "Black Skinhead" went Platinum in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2018.[69]
As of 2017, "Black Skinhead" is the 89th best-selling hip-hop song of all-time in the UK.[70]
In popular culture[edit]
Since its release, "Black Skinhead" has appeared in various media. The song was first featured in a trailer for the 2013 crime film The Wolf of Wall Street.[79] A mashup of it with "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson was played by American DJ Girl Talk at a North Carolina show in July 2013.[5] American rapper Angel Haze freestyled over the song in October 2013 as part of their 30 Gold series.[80] In June 2014, a cover version was performed by American singer Jack White as the opener to his live concert in Dublin, Ireland.[81] A mashup of "Black Skinhead" and "Shoot the Runner" by Kasabian was performed by indie rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in February 2015.[82] The song was used in a 2015 television advert for Sky Bet.[83] It was used in the opening scene for the 2016 period drama TV series Underground,[84] and a cover by Jacques Slade, THURZ & El Prez was featured in the 2016 American comedy film Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.[85] The song was used in the 2016 American superhero film Suicide Squad,[86] and in the trailer for the 2017 American action thriller spy film Atomic Blonde as part of a mashup with "Personal Jesus" by English electronic band Depeche Mode.[87] The track is part of the soundtrack for the 2017 video game WWE 2K18.[88] Jaden Smith sampled the song on "Watch Me" from his debut album Syre (2017).[89] The track appeared in a 2018 car commercial for the Toyota Camry.[90] The song was used in a trailer for the Android smartphone Motorola Moto X in 2013.[91] "Black Skinhead" is one of the penalty kill songs that NHL team Colorado Avalanche use. The Toronto Marlies of the AHL has used it as its goal song since the 2015 - 2016 season.[92] Billie Eilish revealed that "Black Skinhead" inspired her single "Bury a Friend".[93] In 2020, Bono included the song on a list of 60 songs that "saved his life".[94] Why Don't We sampled "Black Skinhead" in their 2020 single "Fallin' (Adrenaline)".[95]
Credits adapted from the Yeezus liner notes.[96]