"KEYS TO MY LIFE" (originally titled "Timbo Freestyle"[1]) is a song by ¥$ (Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign) that was released as the second track from their debut studio album, VULTURES 1 (2024).[2] The song features vocals from India Love.[3]
In the song, Ye and Ty rap about what shouldn't happen in strong relationships. Ye's verse also possibly alludes to his divorce with Kim Kardashian, who's divorce from Ye became finalized in 2022.[3]
Production[]
When the beat switches after the chorus, it samples the Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 song, "Can It All Be So Simple". Kanye even references the song when his second verse begins. The intro also samples Brand Nubian's 1990 song, "Slow Down".[4]
Background[]
Producer SHDØW revealed that the song was created sometime in 2022.[5] It was later given to Ye and Ty sometime during the Saudi Arabia sessions and named "TIMBO FREESTYLE". The song was likely initially just that, a freestyle over a beat by Timbaland. Though very little is known about the song prior to its release, CyHi is stated to have recorded a reference for the song recorded around November, which would predate any known versions that date to February.
On December 2nd, the song was essentially in a near-finished state.[6] 6 days later on December 8, Ty would post a tentative track list for VULTURES 1, listing "Timbo Freestyle" as the eighth track.[1] On December 14, London On Da Track would add new production to the song.[7]
During the afterparty for the Las Vegas VULTURES listening party, internet personality India Love would meet up with Kanye and Ty to record for the outro of the song. Timbaland would share a snippet of the process, making it the first ever time the song had been previewed up until that point.[8]
Production on the song would be paused on the song for a short period of time, though on January 22nd of 2024 (just over three weeks from final release) Traxster would add production to the song, most notably adding new strings to it and a different sample chop.[9] The song had briefly been titled to "KEYS TO LIFE" and even retitled back to "TIMBO FREESTYLE" for a short period of time before being retitled back to "KEYS TO MY LIFE" for final release.[10]
On February 2, HipHopDX revealed a new track list for the album, now listing the song as the tenth track on the album.[11] The song was then played at the final two listening parties for VULTURES 1 before being met with a final release on February 10, 2024.
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Slow down
[Verse 1]
Slow down, you on your way to an overdose
Plus these texts gettin' way too emoji-nal
Way too much time alone
Told the guys that you know I'm headed home, I got a trauma bond
Look at what I stumbled on
Another n***a chillin' on your couch with pajamas on
Thought I was the only one
How dare you have a n***a in your house eatin' Papa Johns?
Where you get that money from?
Lookin' at how far we come, I bought your first Vacheron
Guess we had an awesome run
Ever since I lost my mom, you was like my foster mom
Hold me like your only son
Hold me like the homies in the Chi' when they hold they guns
Hold me like a trophy in the sky when they know they won
[Chorus]
Wasn't it always this way?
Wasn't it always this way?
Puttin' it all on display
Usin' up all your sick days
Put up with all my mistakes
Listen to all my mixtapes
'Posed to be always this way
'Posed to be always this way
[Verse 2]
Couldn't it all be so simple?
I could've used that last part for the intro
How it sound when you got Yeezy over Timbo?
From Uptown, but now she rockin' Yeezys over Timbos
Like you don't see me beatin' on your window
Like Chief Keef in the kitchen with the BDs and the endo
But that was me when I was burnin' CDs for my friends though
Now, I can't just take it on the chin like Jay Leno
Now, everybody want the info
These bitches want the pin code, these n***as swear we kinfolk
In a Benzy with a Gen-Z gettin' gentle
If I gotta pay for it, I'ma drive it like a rental
You already know my M.O.
Is you ready for the Venmo? You already know my demo
You already know I'm impulsive
And another baby is my end goal
[Outro]
I wanna give you keys to my life, to my life, to my life, uh
I wanna give you keys to my life, to my life, to my life, yeah (Ah-hahahaha)
I wanna give you keys to my life, to my life, to my life, yeah
Trivia[]
- Kanye also used the word, "emoji-nal", in a VULTURES 2 Deluxe track, "CAN U BE", which was initially recorded in 2015.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/ty-dolla-sign-kanye-west-joint-album-tracklist-1235547798/
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/album/0k7ALIqqds5oGFtpMsaHLK?si=yOQxezZJTgmUqUsvMba8Xw&nd=1&dlsi=0c3de5584ad240d7
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://genius.com/Kanye-west-and-ty-dolla-sign-keys-to-my-life-lyrics
- ↑ https://www.whosampled.com/%C2%A5$/KEYS-TO-MY-LIFE/
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/GoodAssSub/comments/1hdjo9j/shadow_info_dump/
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/627e6f09a5d2f0a6d3baade06ec70513
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/454d6e9f4a1db76547a684e8339396a8
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AEp-i8R_s2o
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/aec873dcc636903150d150c4c3016acc
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/4ddbba4510bb68c779c9d1b53c3ba038
- ↑ https://hiphopdx.com/news/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-volume-1-tracklist
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