"HAPPY" is a song by Kanye West that was released as a part of his eleventh solo studio album DONDA 2 (2025) that was released under the name "DONDA" on April 29th, 2025.[1] The song was initially release as a demo track three years prior on the demo version of the album on February 24, 2022 and features a nearly two-minute guest appearance from the album's executive producer Future, who raps about his "regular subject matter" while Ye himself raps about potentially buying the ridesharing service Uber, his wealth, and some situations in his private life.[2]
The song features production done by Kanye himself, Wheezy, and Digital Nas and serves as the eighth track to the final record.
Background[]
Though the song wouldn't exist for an additional month, this song shares many similarities to an Albe Back reference track recorded in January of that year titled "Evangelica" and is possible this song derived from it.[3]
The first known version of the song dates back to as early as early as February 1st, 2022 when the initial freestyle titled "Paid To Talk" had been recorded.[4] Kanye had picked the sample and flipped it while the majority of the production had been done by the producer Wheezy.[5]
Between the song's release and its initial creation, the song had went several production changes, with added production from Chase Davis as well as an entirely reworked beat done by E.VAX having been confirmed to exist.[6] Reference writer Fat Money had also recorded a reference for the song.[7]
The song was previously titled "DO I LOOK HAPPY" in early track lists for the album,[8] and "PAID TO TALK" in a leaked set list for the album's listening party.[9] It officially released on February 24, 2022.
The last known version of the song featured a mix done by Mike Dean and had been named "Happy (Paid To Talk)".[10] Past that point, it is unclear if the song had been worked on again for Donda 2 or if it had been instead scrapped, although the second to last 2022 version of the song "Pablo" featured a freestyle at the end in which Kanye had made a callback to the song.[11] The song has been said to have been among the three Donda 2 songs brought back for YEBU, though the legitimacy of this is unclear as it has also been said that it was not as it has also been said the person who shared this information simply had just gotten confused between this song and another song of the era with the exact same name.
The song would be brought back in 2025 for the rerelease of DONDA 2 though would be worked on minimally initially, releasing on April 29th with only a new mix.[1] Despite this, Digital Nas would go on to confirm himself that one of the upcoming album updates will replace the 2-minute mumble towards the end with a legitimate take.[12] However, that same day, a different version featuring an AI reference was also previewed, making it unclear if there will be a legitimate actual verse on future updates.[13]
The song would update on May 1st with a new AI verse from Kanye West.[14]
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Kanye West & The Masqueraders]
Woo
(I be, I be, I be, I—)
(I be, I be, I be, I—)
Woo
[Verse 1: Future]
Cook the dope, let me cook it, yeah
Junkies layin' outside the bushes, yeah
Do-si-dos syrup, yeah
You gold diggers, I deserve, yeah
A gang of **** bought purses, yeah
I did it off of one verse, yeah
I'm sippin' syrup inside the vert, yeah
I'm leavin' my mark on the Earth
Takin' my drugs in doses
F***** my bitch by the pack (I be)
Came from the-Came from mud (I be)
First to put the hood on the jet (I be)
First to put the hood on Molly (I be)
Then we put the hood on X (I be)
F*** what a **** gotta say (I be)
I'm now securing my bag (I be)
Trappin' in Atlanta (I be)
Bought three, four, five Phantoms (I be)
Drug dealers, murders, and the scammers (I be)
Crocodile Birkin for your mama (I be)
Fourty-seven racks on sandals (I be)
Burberry Mink on camera (I be)
Pour the Wock' down in the Fanta (I be)
Walk a **** down on camera (I be)
Ski mask cover my face up (I be)
Skull wallet chain, Santana (I be)
Show a real-real what you made of (I be)
Hit 'em in the top right now (I be)
Drankin' on Wock' right now (I be)
Clutchin' my Glock right now (I be)
Marni on my sock right now (I be)
Your **** give me mop right now (I be)
To finesse on the road outta town (I be)
Drink the pain up then smoke up the pound (I be)
Selling dope outta grandma house (I be)
Bust juugs at grandma house (I be)
Cut sixteen-hundred out a ounce (I be)
Bought a foreign, could barely pronounce (I be)
One chain and it cost 'bout a house (I be)
Had them all a couple fives then bounce (I be)
Go tomato on the guts, a Ferrari (I be)
Hit this new lick, I'm snatchin' Bugatti (I be)
Sippin' oil out the drank, it's exotic (I be)
Get paid just to talk out of pocket (I be)
Once you finish loading up, then you cock it (I be)
Think these bitches outta France got me cocky (I be)
Rappers take off with the lingo and chop it (I be)
Make me crush up the scene with no problem (I be)
Swearin' these **** gon' try me in Atlanta (I be)
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
Hopped out the Uber, next thing you know, I bought Uber
Hopped out the Uber, next thing you know, I bought Uber
Don't come in with the rumors, don't ask me nothin' you can Google
Do I look happy, do I look happy to you?
(Do I look happy to you?)
Comin' in like, damn, where you get it from?
Comin' in like, damn, where you **** from?
Had just hopped up out the Uber
Next week, that man probably bought Uber
Don't wanna come at me startin' with a rumor
Matter fact, ask me nothin' you can Google
N**** runnin' up a million being frugal
N**** I was at yo' mama house, eating noodles ****
[Chorus: Kanye West]
And we all wanna be happy
Do I look happy, do I look happy to you?
(Do I look happy to you, do I look happy to you?)
[Verse 3: Kanye West]
And I know [?] with a tenant
And throw somethin', ain't somethin' I invented
Thought I had enough [?] get rented
[?] goin' dumb, pour some money in it
When the gun of sun, when I'm in it
Tinted, squint it, been it, y'all know it been a minute
Throwing in these [?]
Hold up, I'ma let you finish
'Pac goin' throw it up with a mini
I gave one song, count too many
Two mans hop out but I don't see any
How I'm gon' [?], leave you with me?
Dun-dun, come and get me
Throw the lights on and hit the getti
Four [?] now they hear me
Cocaine house round at Diddy's
Propane house like Minnie
Two night time like 50
Told my mama don't want many
Told my mama I'm winning
[?]
Tell 'em finna wanna live there
[Chorus: Kanye West]
And we all wanna be happy
Do I look happy, do I look happy to you?
(Do I look happy to you, do I look happy?)
(Do I look happy to you, do I look happy?)
And we all wan— (Do I look happy to you, do I look happy?)
And we all wan—
[Verse 4: Kanye West]
When we done something, it's a movie
Probably get the job back at Louis
Probably got a nine, act a foolie
Someone actin' unruly
Pass out, wake up with a IV
I be—told my jeweler I'm too famous for the chain
Told my stylist I'm too famous for names
Told my jeweler I'm too famous for chains
Told MTV I'm too famous for the fame
Man, we ain't playin' no more games
Mortal Kombat and I finish you
Wanna throw me in the institute?
All you can do is salute
[Chorus: Kanye West]
And we all wanna be happy
Do I look happy, do I look happy to you?
(Do I look happy to you, do I look happy?)
(Do I look happy to you, do I look happy?)
And we all wan— (Do I look happy to you, do I look happy?)
And we all wan—
[Outro: Kanye West & The Masqueraders]
Woo
(I be, I be, I be, I—)
(I be, I be, I be, I—)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://open.spotify.com/track/6SrI8Vir3JCPixRACh8wUZ?si=d99012f2f8bb4ff9
- ↑ https://genius.com/Kanye-west-happy-lyrics
- ↑ https://krakenfiles.com/view/9v5qImlBPB/file.html
- ↑ https://plwcse.top/f/17f630664e2e524f2b84c8ecf574bf1f
- ↑ https://twitter.com/wheezy0uttahere/status/1496532422002946056?s=20&t=QIgtUx56-LfNhxI6fuseiA
- ↑ https://krakenfiles.com/view/3CgRtLBVv8/file.html
- ↑ https://krakenfiles.com/view/lZV4e8JNbG/file.html
- ↑ https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.68172/title.kanye-west-donda-2-tracklist#
- ↑ https://twitter.com/XXL/status/1496341091813101570?s=20&t=8ae30mRQ30GM2rTO0IvWuQ
- ↑ https://plwcse.top/f/b37758646ce038c57cba9a859902657c
- ↑ https://genius.com/Kanye-west-pablo-version-2-lyrics
- ↑ https://x.com/DIGITALNAS/status/1917619585378811944
- ↑ https://pixeldrain.com/u/NqXT9hh3
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-VOdXQ_u_Y&list=OLAK5uy_n-gdyC6yvWSNc3Gi_vQyrgyTlNppWUsGE&index=9
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