Released June 19, 2013 Length 3:08 | Recorded 2013 Label Def Jam | |
Genre Industrial hip hop
punk rap Writer(s) Kanye West
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Thomas Bangalter
Cydel Young
Malik Jones
Elon Rutberg
Wasalu Jaco
Sakiya Sandifer
Mike Dean
Derrick Watkins | ||
"Black Skinhead" (also stylized as "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD") is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). The song, produced by West alongside Daft Punk, Gesaffelstein, Brodinski, Mike Dean, Lupe Fiasco, No ID, Jack Donoghue and Noah Goldstein, was released as the first single from the album on June 19, 2013 and peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Contents
Release and promotion
West performed "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves" on the May 18, 2013 broadcast of the American sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live. "Black Skinhead" impacted radio in the United Kingdom on June 19. On June 28, Def Jam Recordings confirmed that it would be serviced to American radio as the first single from Yeezus. The label also revealed that a music video for the song was in production. Following the announcement, "Black Skinhead" was officially released on July 2. Prior to its release as a single, "Black Skinhead" debuted at number 69 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The track also peaked at numbers 21 and 15 respectively on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. 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. The song was featured in the trailer to the films The Wolf of Wall Street and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. On October 18, 2013, "Black Skinhead" was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Denmark.
Music video
For five months leading up to the single's announcement, West worked on a music video for "Black Skinhead" with photographer Nick Knight. The music video was initially leaked to the Internet on July 8, 2013. Shortly thereafter, West stated that leaked version of the video was incomplete and released without his approval. On July 21, 2013, the final version was officially released as an interactive video on West's website. The interactive portion of the video allows users to control the video's speed down to almost one-sixteenth the normal rate, as well as take screenshots for use in social media platforms. The user's cursor changes to that of a black hand giving the middle finger when interacting with the video. Pitchfork Media noted that apart from interactivity, the video itself is identical to the version that was leaked ahead of release.
The video opens with three figures wearing black conical hoods, reminiscent of those worn by the Ku Klux Klan; their hoods form a black border that envelops most of the screen, while the silhouettes of the outlying cones stay on each end. The primary action of the video takes place in the middle portion of the screen, which is occupied by a shirtless, computer-generated version of West, wearing a long chain and leather pants, who raps the song's lyrics and dances. West appears in various forms: a rough, spiky animatic; a silhouetted model; one whose upper torso save the face is covered in talc; a heavily muscled version; and a nude version with rows of subdermal implants on the shoulders and chest. Interspersed with his figure are several brief flashes of snarling dobermans and other predatory animals.
Critical reception
"Black Skinhead" received universal acclaim from critics, many of whom cited it as one of the best songs on Yeezus. Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly cited "Black Skinhead" as one of the album's best songs, describing it as "a galloping punk-rap manifesto". Rolling Stone named "Black Skinhead" the third best song of 2013 saying, "'Ye rapping rabid over an industrial glitter-rock stomp pumped with heavy breathing and Tarzan screams. Next time someone says America is post-race, play 'em this, and watch their head explode." NME named the song the tenth best song of 2013 saying, ""Black Skinhead" was a microcosm of why that's the case: three breathless and almost-punk minutes that covered the central complexes – ego, messiah and persecution - of his dark and twisted psyche."
Remix
A remix, featuring singer Miley Cyrus was recorded on August 25, 2013, shortly afterwards the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Producer Mike Will Made It was present during the recording session and added some production to the song. The remix leaked on January 21, 2016, and was revealed to feature Lupe Fiasco (who is featured on the original track) and Travi$ Scott in addition to Cyrus. The track features Cyrus singing a rendition of the hook from Tears for Fears' 1985 song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." from their album Songs from the Big Chair.
In popular culture
"Black Skinhead" was featured in 2016 film, Suicide Squad in a scene that features Floyd Lawton/Deadshot in Belle Reve.