This Is The Remix: Yasiin Bey's "N*ggas In Poorest"
Yasiin Bey—the rapper formerly known as Mos Def—has released a video for “N*ggas In Poorest,” his revamped version of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Niggas In Paris” single from their Watch the Throne CD.
As part of his forthcoming Top 40 Underdogs project, Bey’s planning to remake other ubquitious rap tunes with lyrics more in line with his own sensibilities.
The concept is nothing new, as Bey explained to Hypebeast. For example, 50 Cent gained major buzz for rhyming his gangta tales over jacked beats.
And, more akin to Bey’s politically-charged lyrical remixes, dead prez employed a similar concept on several songs from their Turn Off the Radio mixtape series.
Speaking with Hypebeast last month, Bey explained his main reason (ie., “for the culture”) for what he hopes will be a series of upcoming revamps and remakes.
“The tradition, taking someone’s song and making your version out of it, is not new to Hip Hop. It is similar to Dancehall music, where there is one rhythm and many artists offer their interpretation of it. Covering songs is certainly in the DNA of the culture. 50 Cent, as a matter of fact, built his name in New York for awhile doing just that. I also like the community mind aspect of it that it belongs to all of us. It basically gives and extends the life of our culture, our rhythm. Thus, this series is something that comes quite natural for me to do. I’ve done it before. Just look at ‘Children’s Story,’ or even my version of Jay-Z’s ‘Takeover’ in 2004. It is something that is really fun to do, you know, giving different perspectives on a familiar piece. There are a lot of songs on Top 40 Radio, not just in current day charts, that I have been a fan of and obviously my content is a lot different from what people would hear on Top 40 Radio to say the least. That being said, I am a fan of music and I seek for just another opportunity to express myself and give my point of view on certain things.”
Check out the lyrics and video below.
WATCH:
Follow along with lyrics supplied by Rap Genius:
[Intro]
Live from America
Yasiin, Yasiin, Yasiin
N.I.P, sing it
[Verse 1]
Poor so hard, my clean clothes look grimy, pretty women don’t mind me
So what’s fifty grand to a young nigga like me? More than my annual salary
Poor so hard, this shit crazy, walk outside the whole world hate me
Nervous stares hit the third affairs, surveillance cameras, police tracing
Poor so hard, this shit weird, we be home and still be scared
There’s grief here, there’s peace here, easy and hard to be here
Psycho, liable to turn Michael, take your pick, Myers, Myers, Myers, same shit
Poor so hard, got holey socks, dope block on my stove top
Jumbotrons for astronauts, high in orbit off planet rock, say
Poor so hard, this chopper too, we starving Marvin, you hot food
There’s birds of prey, no escape, open-air prison, local zoo
Poor so hard, who getting faded? Little Maurice in the sixth grade
No mama, no father, role model the dope game, say
Poor so hard, bitch behave, standing behind the deuce-deuce-trey
Ice-cold, heat blow, closed casket, cold case
[Hook]
Poor so hard, that shit cray
[Verse 2]
These young bloods is looking scary at the mall
They wearing pants, you can still see they drawers
They rob a nigga in the bathroom stall
They took his life cause he ain’t want to take it off
Poor so hard, that shit cray, ain’t it, Bey? Diabetics, fish filet
Poor so hard, your house so cold, nigga, it ain’t spring
Every winter landlord fuckin’ with my heat again
Bougie girl, grab your hand, show you how to do this ghetto dance
Fuck your French, we ain’t in France, I’m just saying
Prince Williams ain’t do it right, if you ask me
If I was him, I’d put some black up in my family
Fake Gucci, my nigga, fake Louis, my killa
Real drugs, my dealer, who the fuck is Margiela?
Doctors say I’m the illest, I ain’t got no insurance
It’s them niggas in poorest, be them rebel guerillas, huh
[Interlude: Malcolm X]
I don’t worry, I tell you
I am a man who believed that I died 20 years ago
And I live like a man who is dead already
I have no fear whatsoever of anybody or anything
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
To the kings and queens and everyone in every place, yo
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne
Towers of Babylon rise up and so they shall fall
As it was written before, amen, so it goes on
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne
These devils out here lying, acting like the people ain’t dying
They silver and they gold, ain’t never saved a soul
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne
Signs through the earth and through the heavens, lunar, solar eclipses
We seeking for forgiveness and safety for our children
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne, Allah is in control
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