ALIVE

"ALIVE"Single by Ye
General information
Featured artist(s)	NBA Youngboy DJ Swamp Izzo (adlibs)
Released	May 21, 2025 (1.0) May 23, 2025 (2.0, 3.0)
Recorded	2023-May 23, 2025
Genre	Rage Rap
Length	1:58
Label(s)	YZY
Writer(s)	Kanye West • Kentrell Gaulden • Jordan Terrell Carter • Ronald Keys Jr. • Ștefan Cișmigiu • Richard Ortiz
Producer(s)	Lucian • F1LTHY
Singles chronology
Previous	"HIT SYMPHONY"
Next	"HALLELUJAH"
Music video
Playboi Carti's version

"ALIVE" is a song by Ye (fka Kanye West) that was released as a non-album single. The song features a verse from Louisiana rapper NBA Youngboy as well as additional vocals from DJ Swamp Izzo. The song features production from both F1LTHY and Lucian, mostly notable for their work with Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti.

Production

"ALIVE" features production from both F1LTHY and Lucian. The song feature's DJ Swamp Izzo's vocals from Playboi Carti's 2025 song "CRANK", though given the only time period in which this song could have been recorded originally it's unclear if the vocals on this song are meant as a feature for this or a sample.

Background

See also: Feud with Playboi Carti

The song at its latest dates back to some time in 2023 when both Playboi Carti and NBA Youngboy had been allegedly working together on a collaborative record titled "004KT". Plans for this album had eventually been cancelled after Youngboy was incarcerated on gun-related charges. A song featuring Youngboy has been stated to have been on an early 20+ track tracklist for MUSIC after his incarceration, however. Given the lack of Youngboy's presence in the music video shared by Carti and the mention of "FREE YOUNGBOY", it was likely that song was this one on that track list, if not brought back for the album.

The song was scrapped either way on Carti's end and the adlibs on the song from Swamp Izzo were later reused on another MUSIC-era song "CRANK" off of Carti's album, if they were recorded for this song. At some point in time, Kanye would come into possession of the song and taken it for himself.

On May 21, 2025, Ye took to Instagram to post a song with the simple caption: “ALIVE / YE X NBA YoungBoy / YZY SZN 10". That same day Playboi Carti would respond to Ye teasing it, accusing Ye of stealing the song from him and releasing his version of the song onto his alternate Instagram page in response. Streamer SNEAKO would later that same day post the song with a promotional video in full on his X (fka Twitter) account that Ye retweeted

Most of the Ye's lyrics from the original Ye version were written by Youngboy. He would release the song exclusively on Tidal that same day under the name "Ye".

On May 23, 2025, SNEAKO would play an updated version of the song live on stream. Ye also released it to his X, this version contained alternative lyrics. Soon later, the song was put on streaming. That same day, a third update had been previewed on Ye's X page, with one line change.

Lyrics

[Intro]
Wake up

[Chorus: DJ Swamp Izzo]
Alive (You are), alive (You are)
Alive (You are), alive
This that fuck and leave it in

[Verse 1: Ye & YoungBoy Never Broke Again]
This that new season ten (This that new season ten)
This that pull up, blow, they thinkin' they hot? Let five out the Gen'
This that n**** been stealin' the swag, they know damn well they ain't invent
This that n****s ain't rich, they broke, want a blessing and they ain't even repent

[Verse 2: YoungBoy Never Broke Again & Ye]
Okay, these n****s in trouble, it's fuck 'em, I'm finna expose 'em, they too undercover (Yee)
This for my momma, my daughter, my mistress, I clean up her dental, upgradin' her sucker (Yee)
These n****s suckers, they with it, we pull up in Bentleys and beat the fuck out 'em in public
Had to go crazy just when they hear me, like I had to stop walking on water to hover

[Refrain: Ye, YoungBoy Never Broke Again & DJ Swamp Izzo]
Hold on, I came back from the dead now, n****, I feel alive
Alive (You are), alive
Hold on, I came back from the dead now, bitch, I feel alive
Alive (You are), alive (You are)
Alive, I'm lovin' it all, you n****

[Verse 3: YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Ye & DJ Swamp Izzo]
I'll put the bitch in a blicker, them youngins gon' load up and get 'em, they catch em and stretch 'em
.223, it ain't missin' a beat, we gon' pray up to Heaven and step in eleven
I drive the Maybach like a Jeep, I been movin' discreet, I'm that n***a just cause I said it
I'm that n***a, I read it on Reddit
I'm charging you n***as until I get credit
I'm ready to eat, I been countin' up lettuce
Oh, I got them hitters, they ready to go
That ain't a model, I bought her a bottle and fucked on her bottom until she was sore
I'm on the slab jumpin' out of a cab
On the Z like a Zoe in Givenchy peacoat
I am the realest, the illest, the richest, I break on a bitch like I never go broke
N****, oh, (Oh) came back from the dead now, n****, I feel alive
Come in the circle, they feelin' alive
Man, these n****s too under disguise
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, fuck it, let's run it, I let go my pride
I go to war about my kids, my child
These n****s better just stay up inside

[Interlude]
Ooh

[Chorus: DJ Swamp Izzo]
Alive (You are), alive (You are)
Alive (You are), alive (You are)
Alive (You are), alive (You are)
Alive (You are), alive (You are)
Alive

Trivia

• This is Ye's first released collaboration with both F1LTHY and Lucian. He is also said to have an unreleased verse on the song "FOMDJ" by Playboi Carti which is produced by the both of them however, making this their second ever collaboration that is known of.
  • F1LTHY and Ye are rumored to have worked together during the Donda sessions, though the only song to show for this rumor had been confirmed to be a fake stem edit.
• This song is speculated to have been one of the songs intended for Kanye and Carti's collaborative album CARTIYE that had been worked on in what is presumed to have been late-2023, hence how Ye had access to it.
• The line "I'm that n***a, I read it on Reddit", has been confirmed by SNEAKO to be a reference to popular Ye fan reddit "GoodAssSub".