So Appalled
"So Appalled" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song was produced by West, along with No I.D. and Mike Dean, and features verses by Jay-Z, Cyhi the Prynce, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, and RZA respectively, who all receive writing credits. Lyrically, the song explores topics such as the troubles produced from being famous, social concerns and features numerous pop culture references.
"So Appalled"
September 24, 2010
2009–10
6:38
- Kanye West
- No I.D.
- Mike Dean
The posse cut received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with West and Jay-Z's verses commonly being cited as the highlights. Critics generally praised the production of the song. Originally, the song was released in an unmastered form through West's GOOD Friday initiative, a weekly free music giveaway started by the rapper to promote the album. Following this, "So Appalled" made its way onto My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with the addition of an extended verse. "So Appalled" charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles singles chart. West performed the song with Jay-Z at their Watch the Throne Tour and with Pusha T on his own tour.
Composition[edit]
"So Appalled" has been described as an epic posse cut featuring a large roster of performers.[12] West uses his verse to address his past critics and comment on his status as a celebrity.[23]
West's performance on the song is notably intense, forcefully rapping lines such as "we above the law, we don't give a fuck 'bout y'all / I got dogs that'll chew a fucking hole through the wall."[6] Swizz Beatz sets the tone of the song using several ad-libs such as "one hand in the air, if you don't really care" and the line "this shit is fucking ridiculous" which is repeated several times throughout the song, delivered by nearly every rapper.[24][25][26] The second verse is delivered by Jay-Z, who spends the majority of his verse deconstructing the hate that surrounds fame and poses the question, "would you rather be underpaid or overrated?"[6] Jay-Z comments on how a career in the music industry creates many opponents.[27] The third verse is delivered by Pusha T, who muses on cocaine dealing.[27]
The song contains numerous pop culture references, including The Dark Knight, the breakfast cereal Cheerios, the business figure and future United States President, Donald Trump, rapper M.C. Hammer and "We Major", a song from West's album Late Registration.[28] On the unconventional structure of the song, Sputnikmusic's Channing Freeman said that verses were "very lengthy – Kanye appears within the first minute and then drops out for good – but the droning beat is so mesmerizing that it's barely even noticeable."[29] Andy Gill of The Independent explained the use of several guest appearances, writing "Kanye has never been short on ambition or ego, so it's no surprise he should have his guests (including such hip-hop luminaries as Jay-Z, Swizz Beats and RZA) queue up on "So Appalled" to confirm in turn how 'this shit is fucking ridiculous'".[26]
Marketing[edit]
The track was nightly performed by West and Jay-Z during their Watch the Throne Tour.[52] Pusha T performs the song live during his own live sets.[53] The song was one of the few songs on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy not to be featured on Runaway, a 35-minute music video directed by West set to music from the album.[54][55]