Released April 24, 2012 Genre Hip hop | Recorded 2011 Length 3:27 | |
Label Aspire
Young Money
Cash Money
Republic Writer(s) Aubrey Graham, Dwayne Carter, N.Cobey, Cedric Carter, Anthony Palman, Kenza Samir, Noah Shebib, Tyler Williams | ||
"HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)", also known as just "HYFR", is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake from his second studio album Take Care (2011). The song features Lil Wayne and was released as the album's sixth official single. It officially impacted rhythmic top 40 radio stations on April 24, 2012. The song was nominated for the 55th Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance.
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Critical reception
Billboard commented on the track by saying "With a bit of "Swanging and Banging," T-Minus delivers a rock-influenced platform for teacher and student to squash questions with an acronym." Rolling Stone described the song by saying "Drake opens the track with a whiplash verse or two before passing the mic for a Weezy showcase: he rhymes "hold her" and "closure" and raps "a met a female dragon had a fire conversation." Apparently, the phrase "hell yeah fuckin' right" is something they yell at journalists who ask questions like "how high they are?" and "do you they think the people around you are really your friend." In their defense, those are terrible questions. I would ask Weezy about the NBA lockout and ask Drake where the best place is to buy an obscenely overpriced candelabra." Popdust gave the album a positive review and commented on the track by saying "“Hell yeah / Hell yeah, hell yeah / Fuckin’ right / Fuckin’ right, all right” is gonna make for one hell of a chorus sing along on future I Am Still Music tour installments, and the T-Minus (of “She Will” and “I’m On One” fame) beat is appropriately hands-in-the-air for such a statement."
The song was nominated for the 55th Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance.
Music video
The music video, directed by Director X, produced by Michelle Larkin, was filmed on March 21, 2012 in Miami's Temple Israel, and at a local school and daycare center. It was released on April 6, 2012 along with the music video for "Take Care". The video portrays Drake having a Bar Mitzvah. Lil Wayne makes an appearance to deliver his verse, and Birdman, DJ Khaled, Trey Songz, Mack Maine, T-Minus, and Noah "40" Shebib make cameo appearances as guests during the re-Bar Mitzvah and the reception. It won Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards and Video of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2013. As of January 2015, Billboard named the video as the third best music video of the 2010s (so far).
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 92 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 following the release of Take Care. The song re-entered the Hot 100 chart at number 100 and gradually ascended the chart to eventually peak at position 62. The song remained on the chart for a total of 20 weeks.
Credits and personnel
The credits for "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" are adapted from the liner notes of Take Care. Recording
Personnel
Sample credit