Lowkey....best song off Yeezus? It’s an excellent critique of institionalized racism, white elitism, and capitalism. Who knew Kanye supported the dictatorship of the proletariat???
It starts off with a trippy, trademark Swizz Beatz distortion that supports this angry, almost manic energy that Kanye shines on.
My mama was raised in the era when
Clean water was only served to the fairer skin. -> subtle contrast between generations and their interactions with institutionalized racism
Doin' clothes, you would've thought I had help
But they wasn't satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself -> “you want me to perform the labor, but not own the means of production”
You see, it's broke nigga racism
That's that, "Don't touch anything in the store"
And it's rich nigga racism
That's that, "Come in, please buy more". -> regardless of class, you’re merely a utility to capitalism and its exploitation
"What you want, a Bentley? Fur coat? A diamond chain?
All you blacks want all the same things" -> mocking the voice of the oppressor and reduction of Black aspiration to materialism
Used to only be niggas, now everybody playin'
Spendin' everything on Alexander Wang -> the same systems that exploited Black people now market Black culture to everyone
New slaves -> everyone has joined the consumerist race, the new slavery
One of his best and most direct verses. Kanye presents the trap of imitation: he sees consumerism as the new plantation, where desire replaces chains, and consumerism reducing Black culture to mere capitalist utility.
You see there's leaders and there's followers
But I'd rather be a dick than a swallower
This is a hilarious, defiant “fuck-off” to the white elitists who stand on the backs of the masses.
I throw these Maybach keys -> rejects white, traditional status symbols
I wear my heart on the sleeve
I know that we the new slaves
I see the blood on the leaves -> anti-lynching poem Billie Holiday wrote
They throwing hate at me
Want me to stay at ease
Fuck you and your corporation -> now he’s just straight up raging against the cultural ownership at the hands of corporations
Y'all niggas can't control me
I know that we the new slaves
I'm 'bout to wild the fuck out -> weaponizing his rage and unpredictability against a system that tries to constantly control him
I'm going Bobby Boucher
I know that pussy ain't free
You niggas pussy, ain't me
Y'all throwing contracts at me
You know that niggas can't read -> one of the funniest Kanye lines ever, but it has some truth to it. the system is designed to ensure Black illiteracy.
Throw 'em some Maybach keys -> when exploitation gets so visible, they compensate with luxury.
Fuck it, c'est la vie
This verse shows Kanye’s gradual descent into madness and mania in response. It’s visceral, and his verses stop sounding like critiques and more like psychological warfare. He also recognizes his own internal contradiction, as oppressor and as oppressed, rich and enslaved.
Y'all niggas can't fuck with Ye
I'll move my family out the country -> he’s escaping the surveillance state. he’s paranoid and knows that even wealth can’t buy him safety.
So you can't see where I stay
So go and grab the reporters -> he’s attacking the system that feeds on his image while claiming to “cover” him.
So I can smash their recorders
See they'll confuse us with some bullshit
Like the New World Order -> amazing critique of how the media introduces conspiracy/scapegoats to distract from larger systemic oppression
Meanwhile the DEA
Teamed up with the CCA -> he’s exposing the drug war-to-prison pipeline, where government enforcement fuels private profit.
They tryna lock niggas up
They tryna make new slaves
See that's that privately owned prisons -> the same system that commodifies Black success criminalizes Black poverty
This is actually nuts how revealing this verse is. He’s saying: even if I make millions, even if I buy Maybachs, even if I design high fashion — the system still profits from my existence the same way it profits from the man behind bars.
Get your piece today
They prolly all in the Hamptons
Braggin' 'bout what they made -> turns his anger back at the economic ruling class, the opposite of Kanye: old money and inherited power.
Fuck you and your Hampton house
I'll fuck your Hampton spouse
Came on her Hampton blouse
And in her Hampton mouth -> he’s taking the symbols of purity and privilege — the house, the spouse, the white blouse — and defiling them.
Y'all 'bout to turn shit up
I'm 'bout to tear shit down
I'm 'bout to air shit out -> he literally detonates here. damn.
Now what the fuck they gon' say now?
Kanye literally desecrates and shits on the ruling class. Holy shit.
I won't end this high, not this time again
So long, so long, so long
You cannot survive
And I'm not dying
And I can't lose
I can't lose
No, I can't lose
Cause I can't leave it to you
So let's get too high, get too high again
(Too high again
Too high)
Frank Ocean actually performed the outro, which is widely known as one of the best outros ever on a rap album. It also samples samples Hungarian rock band Omega (random lol). My take on this verse is that Frank quietly shows that freedom doesn’t feel free.
The “new slave” is no longer just the consumer or prisoner — it’s the conscious person who knows all of this, who sees the system clearly but can’t fully escape it. It’s both ending and loop: after enlightenment comes exhaustion, after revolt comes retreat. Anyway, great track, one of my favorites from Kanye. It’s lowkey insane how different he is now.
Rating - 10/10