Yeezus

Yeezus is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album was given very good reviews by music critics. Yeezus entered the Billboard 200 at number one. It also reached number one in 30 other countries. Pitchfork gave the album a score of 9.5 out of 10.^[1] Yeezus faced a lot of controversy for its offensive lyrics. The name Yeezus is a combination of Ye and Jesus. Yeezus is a hip-hop album.

Yeezus
Studio album by Kanye West
Released	June 18, 2013 (2013-06-18)
Recorded	2012 – June 2013
Studio	Various No Name Hotel (Paris, FR) Studios de la Seine (Paris, FR)[lower-alpha 1] Germano (New York City, NY)[lower-alpha 2] Shangri-La (Malibu, CA)[lower-alpha 3] Gee Jam (Port Antonio, JM)[lower-alpha 4] Real World (Bath, UK)[lower-alpha 5] The Mercer Hotel (New York City, NY)[lower-alpha 6] Madpan (New York City, NY)[lower-alpha 7]
Genre	Hip hop experimental R&B
Length	40:01
Label	Def Jam
Producer	Kanye West (also exec.) Rick Rubin (exec.) Che Pope (also co-exec.) Alonso Zamarripa Ackee Juice Rockers Arca Benji B Brodinski Ben Bronfman Carlos Broady Daft Punk Dom Solo Evian Christ Eric Danchick Gesaffelstein Noah Goldstein Hudson Mohawke Jack Donoghue Lunice Lupe Fiasco Mike Dean No I.D. S1 Sham Joseph Travis Scott
Kanye West chronology
Cruel Summer (2012) Yeezus (2013) The Life of Pablo (2016)
Singles from Yeezus
"Black Skinhead" Released: June 19, 2013 "Bound 2" Released: August 28, 2013

Singles

"Black Skinhead" was released as the first single from the album on June 19, 2013. It reached 34 in the UK Singles Chart.^[2] "Bound 2" was released as the album's second single. The music video for the single had West's fiancee at the time, Kim Kardashian in it.

Awards

The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2014 Grammy Awards. The fourth song on the album, "New Slaves", was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song.^[3] Time magazine chose Yeezus as the best album of 2013.^[4] In Pitchfork's 2013 Readers Poll, Yeezus was chosen as 2013's best album.^[5]

Tour

On October 19 2013 West started The Yeezus Tour. A Tribe Called Quest gave their last performance there. The tour ended on December 23 2013.

Track listing

Credits adapted from West's official website.^[6]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"On Sight"	Kanye West Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo Thomas Bangalter Malik Jones Che Smith Elon Rutberg Jerron Decker Cydel Young Mikey Rodrigues Mike Dean	West Daft Punk Ultra$ound Dean[a] Benji B[a]	2:36
2.	"Black Skinhead"	West de Homem-Christo Bangalter Jones Young Rutberg Wasalu Muhammad Jaco Sakiya Sandifer Dean Derrick Watkins	West Daft Punk Gesaffelstein[a] Brodinski[a] Dean[a] Lupe Fiasco[a] No I.D.[a] Jack Donoghue[a] Noah Goldstein[a]	3:08
3.	"I Am a God" (featuring God)	West de Homem-Christo Bangalter Ross Birchard Justin Vernon Jones Smith Rutberg Young Dean Watkins Clifton Bailey Harvel Hart Anand Bakshi Rahul Burman	West Dean Daft Punk Hudson Mohawke[b] Goldstein Che Pope[a] Travis Scott[a]	3:51
4.	"New Slaves"	West Christopher Breaux Young Ben Bronfman Jones Smith Rutberg Sandifer Louis Johnson Dean Gabor Presser Anna Adamis	West Bronfman[b] Dean[a] Travis Scott[a] Goldstein[a] Sham Joseph[a] Pope[a]	4:16
5.	"Hold My Liquor"	West Dean Vernon Keith Cozart Rutberg Smith Jones Alejandro Ghersi Young Watkins	Dean West Arca[a] Goldstein[a]	5:26
6.	"I'm In It"	West Vernon Jeffrey Ethan Campbell Josh Leary Jones Young Sandifer Rutberg Dean Andre Harris Jill Scott Vidal Davis Carvin Haggins Kenny Lattimore	West Evian Christ[b] Dom Solo[b] Goldstein[a] Arca[a] Dean[a]	3:54
7.	"Blood on the Leaves"	West Birchard Rutberg Jones Decker Tony Williams Young Dean Lewis Allen	West Ultra$ound Hudson Mohawke Lunice Carlos Broady[b] 88-Keys[a] Arca[a] Dean[a]	6:00
8.	"Guilt Trip"	West Scott Mescudi Young Dean Larry Griffin, Jr. Keith Elam Jerron Decker Kevin Hansford Dupre Kelly Chris Martin Al-Terik Wardrick Marlon Williams Terrence Thornton Tyree Pittman	West Dean Ultra$ound S1 Travis Scott[a] Ackeejuice Rockers[a]	4:03
9.	"Send It Up"	West Johnson de Homem-Christo Bangalter Ghersi Mike Levy Sandifer Decker Ab Liva Rutberg Dean Moses Davis Colin York Lowell Dunbar	West Daft Punk Gesaffelstein[b] Brodinski[b] Ultra$ound Arca[a] Dean[a]	2:58
10.	"Bound 2"	West John Stephens Charlie Wilson Pope Rutberg Young Jones Sandifer Dean Norman Whiteside Bob Massey Robert Dukes Ronnie Self	West Pope[b] Eric Danchick[a] Goldstein[a] No I.D.[a] Dean[a]	3:49
Total length:				40:01

Notes^[6]

• ^{^a} signifies an additional producer
• ^{^b} signifies a co-producer
• "I Am a God" features vocals by Justin Vernon.
• "New Slaves" features vocals by Frank Ocean.
• "Hold My Liquor" features vocals by Chief Keef and Justin Vernon.
• "I'm In It" features vocals by Justin Vernon and Assassin.
• "Guilt Trip" features vocals by Kid Cudi.
• "Send it Up" features vocals by King L.
• "Bound 2" features vocals by Charlie Wilson.

Sample credits^[6]

• "On Sight" contains interpolations of "Sermon (He'll Give Us What We Really Need)", written by Keith Carter, Sr., and performed by Holy Name of Mary Choral Family, re-sung by a different choir.
• "I Am a God" contains samples of "Forward Inna Dem Clothes", written by Clifton Bailey III and H. Hart, and performed by Capleton; and samples of "Are Zindagi Hai Khel", written by Anand Bakshi and Rahul Burman, and performed by Burman, Manna Dey, and Asha Bhosle.
• "New Slaves" contains samples of "Gyöngyhajú lány", written by Gábor Presser and Anna Adamis, and performed by Omega.
• "I'm In It" contains samples of "Lately", written by Vidal Davis, Carvin Haggins, Andre Harris, Kenny Lattimore, and Jill Scott, and performed by Lattimore.
• "Blood on the Leaves" contains samples of "Strange Fruit", written by Lewis Allan, and performed by Nina Simone; and samples of "R U Ready", written by Ross Birchard and Lunice Pierre, and performed by TNGHT.
• "Guilt Trip" contains interpolations of "Chief Rocka", written by Keith Elam, Kevin Hansford, Dupre Kelly, Christopher Martin, Alterick Wardrick and Marlon Williams, and performed by Lords of the Underground; and samples of "Blocka (Ackeejuice Rockers Remix)", written by Terrence Thornton and Tyree Pittman, and performed by Pusha T featuring Travis Scott and Popcaan.
• "Send It Up" contains samples of "Memories", written by Anthony Moses Davis, Collin York and Lowell Dunbar, and performed by Beenie Man.
• "Bound 2" contains samples of "Aeroplane (Reprise)", written by Norman Whiteside, and performed by Wee; samples of "Bound", written by Bobby Massey and Robert Dukes, and performed by Ponderosa Twins Plus One; and samples of "Sweet Nothin's", written by Ronnie Self, and performed by Brenda Lee.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[6]

Alvin Fields – choir director Andrew Dawson – engineer Anthony Kilhoffer – engineer Arca – additional programming Benji B – additional production Brodinski – additional production Carmen Roman – choir Ché Pope – A&R, additional programming, co-executive producer Chris Galland – assistant mixing Chris Gehringer – mastering Crystal Brun – choir Daft Punk – producer Dave "Squirrel" Covell – assistant engineer David Rowland – assistant engineer Delbert Bowers – assistant mixing Dylan Wissing –drums Eric Lynn – assistant mixing Frank Ocean – additional vocals Gesaffelstein – additional production Gloria Ryann – choir Hudson Mohawke – additional programming, co-producer Jack Donoghue – additional production Jessenia Pena – choir Joe Perez – graphic design John Morgan – choir Josh Smith – assistant engineer Justin Vernon – additional vocals K. Nita – choir

Kanye West – creative director, executive producer, producer, vocals Keith Parry – assistant engineer Ken Lewis – choir producer, engineer, noises, vocal sounds Kenta Yonesaka – assistant engineer Kevin Matela – assistant engineer Khoï Huynh – assistant engineer Lorraine Berry – choir Lupe Fiasco – additional production Manny Marroquin – mixing Marc Portheau – assistant engineer, engineer Matt Teitelman – percussion Mike Dean – additional production, engineer Nabil Essemlani – assistant engineer Natalis Ruby Rubero – choir Noah Goldstein – additional production, additional programming, associate producer, engineer, mixing Raoul Le Pennec – assistant engineer Rick Rubin – executive producer Ronnie Artis – choir Sean Drew – choir Sean Oakley – assistant engineer, assistant mixing Sham Joseph – additional production Teachers – co-producer Timeka Lee – choir Travis Scott – additional programming Ultra$ound - producer Uri Djemal – choir engineer Vlado Meller – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2013) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] 22 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[9] 4 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[10] 22 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[11] 1 Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[12] 33 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[13] 1 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14] 16 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 13 French Albums (SNEP)[16] 12 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] 15 Irish Albums (IRMA)[18] 4 Italian Albums (FIMI)[19] 40 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] 1 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[21] 2 Russian Albums (NFPS)[22] 1 Scottish Albums (OCC)[23] 4 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[24] 94 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 35 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 6 Taiwanese Albums (RIT)[27] 16 UK Albums (OCC)[28] 1 UK R&B Albums Chart (OCC)[29] 1 US Billboard 200[30] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[31] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2013) Position Australian Albums Chart[32] 65 Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[33] 147 Canadian Albums Chart[34] 38 US Billboard 200[35] 37 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[36] 12 US Top Rap Albums[37] 8 Chart (2014) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[38] 38 US Top Rap Albums[39] 22

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40]	Gold	35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[41]	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA)[42]	Platinum	1,000,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Australia[43]	June 18, 2013	CD digital download	Universal
Germany[44]
New Zealand[45]			Def Jam
United States[46]			Roc-A-Fella Def Jam
France[47]	June 21, 2013		Universal
United Kingdom[48]	June 22, 2013		Virgin EMI

Notes

1. Tracks 1, 2, 9 and 10
2. Tracks 1–5, 7 and 8
3. Tracks 1, 2 and 4–8
4. Track 6
5. Tracks 6 and 8
6. Track 8
7. Choir on track 1

References

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4. Wolk, Douglas (4 December 2013). "Top 10 of Everything: Arts and Entertainment". Time – via entertainment.time.com.
5. "2013 Readers Poll Results". Pitchfork.
6. Kanye West (2013). Yeezus (PDF) (Media notes). Def Jam Recordings. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
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