Last Name

Best Of This article features content which is widely regarded to be the Best Of Kanye West's discography. Though chosen to be highlighted as one of his best, this is always subject to change.

"Last Name"Unreleased song by Kanye West
General information
Status	Leaked (V1, V3, V4, V7, V9, V11, V13, V14, V15, V16) Partially leaked (V12) Lost (V2, V5, V6, V8, V10, V17, V18)
Recorded	September 22, 2018-2019
Genre	Trap
Length	1:09
Intended album	Yandhi
Writer(s)	Kanye West, Desiigner, Ant Clemons, 070 Shake, E. Vax, Nino Blu
Producer(s)	BoogzDaBeast, E. Vax, MIKE DEAN, Francis and the Lights

"Last Name" (also commonly referred to as "Slave Name") is an unreleased song by Kanye West that was created during the Yandhi sessions. In the song, Ye raps about how he wants to get rid of his "slave name", which was likely given to his ancestors by their slave owners centuries ago.

Composition and lyrics

"Last Name" features Ye attempting to disassociate from his "slave name," West, and singing about "giving up [his] slave name", and advising his children, Saint and North, to do the same. The song was previewed around September 2018, which was around the time Ye tweeted out that he would stop going by the name "Kanye West", and instead by the name "Ye."

The song heavily samples Delicate Steve's song, "Wally Wilder".

Background

On September 22, 2018, the initial version of the song, then titled "Wally Wilder", was created with 23 seconds of vocals from Desiigner. That same day, Ye recorded his first vocals for the song along with Ant Clemons. In the following days, Ye recorded several freestyles. On September 27, the song was first heard to the public when Ye played the song at the Fader headquarters. The day after, 070 Shake reportedly recorded vocals for the song.

The song was featured on the infamous SNL tracklist, as the seventh track. On the day of Ye's SNL performance, he recorded another freestyle with lyrics that were said to have been disses at Pete Davidson. However, this was later proven false, as Pete made his comments about Ye in October 2018.

After Yandhi missed its first release date, the song was only worked on intermittently. It was briefly brought back in March 2019, but it was later scrapped. Despite its unfinished state, the song has become a fan-favorite amongst the leaked Yandhi songs.

Lyrics

[Intro: Ant Clemons]
We need peace, love and harmony
Must achieve all that we could be
Just love on me 'cause that's just what I need
Your love on me is all I ever need, need

[Chorus: Ant Clemons]
Part of my flesh was blendin' in with my soul
Do what I feel and I live what I say so
Oh, been travelin' a million miles on this road
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
Oh, I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
Oh, I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
They be sellin' somethin' when it's not shame
West stole West, simply got shame
Givin' up, I'm givin' up my slave name
Oh, no, no, I'm givin' up my slave name
Saint, you don't really need a last name
North, you don't really need a last name
Both on the song for the dark chains
I'm givin' up the slave name
It's a choice for me
Y'all can't cut out the voice in me
Y'all can't cut out the Nat in me
Y'all came from my anatomy
Y'all can't cut out the Harriet
I don't care how you carry it
Stomp, stomp, that'd be very lit
God stomp, wanna remarry, yeah
Saint, you don't really need a last name
North, you don't really need a last name
And Chicago, yo, they be lost, but we not bought
Oh, then he tells them

[Chorus: Ant Clemons]
Part of my flesh was blendin' in with my soul
Do what I feel and I live what I say so
Oh, been travelin' a million miles on this road
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
Oh, I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
Oh, I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home

[Verse 2: Kanye West & Ant Clemons]
That's like they take our slave women
And bend them quicker than when we hit it
Where you think lightskin came from? (Huh?)
I heard the Chinese buyin' Africa quicker than we would get it
And if you tell somebody you goin' to Africa
Somebody would laugh at ya
Like the top off it, and spend it at the Gucci store
Hold on more, woah, woah
Don't tell me 'bout them woke facts (Woke fact)
Them just sound like broke facts (Broke facts)
I don't know who the fuck told you that (Told you that)
I don't know who the fuck sold you back (Told you that, uh)
Buy your freedom 'fore they sell you back (Sell you back)
Why we need 'em? They just sold you crack (Sold you crack)
So let's done 'em, where the soldiers at? (Soldiers at)
Most of them ain't running, most of them on that bump (Ooh)
Face the gun in the sun, we been brainwashed (Ooh)
Fuck that, we in our own holocaust (Ooh)
It ain't never ended, it all depends (Ooh)
The Jews 'least they said, never again

[Chorus: Ant Clemons]
Part of my flesh was blendin' in with my soul
Do what I feel and I live what I say so
Oh, been travelin' a million miles on this road
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
Oh, I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
Oh, I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home
I wasn't leavin', I was on my way home

[Outro: Kanye West]
Saint, you don't really need a last name
North, you don't really need a last name
And Chicago, yo, and Chicago