"Freestyle 4"
Song by Kanye West
from the album The Life of Pablo
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2016
Recorded2015–16
GenreExperimental hip hop[1]
Length2:03
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Freestyle 4" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West that features vocals from rapper Desiigner, which is from West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016).[2][3] It was remixed by Tyler, the Creator in March 2016.

Composition

The track samples the beginning of 2001 song "Human" by Goldfrapp and is heavily composed around the sample.[4]

By the time that all of the changes had been made to The Life of Pablo in June 2016, a different instrumental popped up at the 45-second mark and more synths were added.[5]

Remixes

On March 3, 2016, Odd Future rapper Tyler, the Creator released a remix of "Freestyle 4" titled "What the Fuck Right Now", which featured ASAP Rocky.[6] Shortly before releasing his remix, Tyler had shown that he was a fan of the song.[7] West tweeted out his approval of the remix three days after it was released.[8]

LSDXOXO remixed the original on May 25, 2016, flipping it to being more suitable for the clubs.[9] A remix of the song by Kanye West featuring ASAP Ferg and Big Sean was subject to an online leak on August 5, 2017.[10]

Critical reception

Tom Thorogood of The Line of Best Fit viewed "Freestyle 4" as "[picking] up where Daft Punk left off on Yeezus with Kanye rapping over electro beats and Hitchcock strings".[1] Its "dense claustrophobia" was pointed out in praise by Nosheen Iqbal of The Guardian.[11]

Commercial performance

Upon the release of The Life of Pablo in February 2016, the track debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.[12] Within the same week, it reached number 43 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[13]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from West's official website.[14]

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[15] 132
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[16] 38
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[17] 9
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 43
US On-Demand Songs (Billboard)[19] 40

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[20] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Credited as co-producer
  2. ^ a b c Credited as additional producer

References

  1. ^ a b Thorogood, Tom (February 16, 2016). "The Life of Pablo by Kanye West | Album Review". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "Freestyle 4 (feat. Desiigner) – Kanye West Song". BBC. BBC Music. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  3. ^ "2010s: In Kanye's Wake". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  4. ^ Reiff, Corbin (February 15, 2016). "Here's Every Sample on Kanye West's New Album, 'The Life of Pablo'". Complex. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  5. ^ Emmanuel, C.M. (June 17, 2016). "Every Change Kanye West Made to 'The Life of Pablo'". XXL. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  6. ^ Young, Alex (March 3, 2016). "Tyler the Creator remixes Kanye West's "Freestyle 4" with ASAP Rocky — watch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  7. ^ Yoo, Noah (February 12, 2016). "Tyler, The Creator Really Likes Kanye West's "Freestyle 4"". The FADER. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  8. ^ Lauletta, Tyler (March 6, 2016). "Kanye West Approves of Tyler, the Creator's 'Freestyle 4' Bars". Fuse. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  9. ^ Saxelby, Ruth (May 25, 2016). "LSDXOXO Turned Kanye West's "Freestyle 4" Into A Baltimore Club Banger". The FADER. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  10. ^ Burgess, Omar (August 5, 2017). "A Version of Kanye's "Freestyle 4" With ASAP Ferg and Big Sean Leaked Online". Complex. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  11. ^ Iqbal, Nosheen (December 13, 2016). "Best albums of 2016: No 4 The Life of Pablo by Kanye West | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  12. ^ "Kanye West Freestyle 4 Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  13. ^ "Top Hip-Hop Songs / R&B Songs Chart – April 23, 2016". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  14. ^ davidbaker.tv, builtbylane.com ×. "The Life of Pablo". The Life of Pablo – Kanye West. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  15. ^ "CHART: CLUK Update 9.04.2016 (wk14)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  16. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  17. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  18. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  19. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (On-Demand Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  20. ^ "American single certifications – Kanye West – Freestyle 4". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
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