Spaceship

"Spaceship"Song by Kanye West
General information
Featured artist(s)	GLC, Consequence
Released	February 10, 2004
Recorded	2003-2004
Studio	Sony Music Studios (New York, New York) Larrabee Sound North (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	5:24
Album	The College Dropout
Label(s)	Def Jam Recordings, Roc-A-Fella Records
Writer(s)	Kanye West, Consequence, GLC, Marvin Gaye, Gwen Gordy Fuqua, Sandra Greene
Producer(s)	Kanye West
Track list
Previous	"I'll Fly Away"
Next	"Jesus Walks"
Music video

"Spaceship" is the sixth track from Kanye West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004). The song features guest verses from GLC and Consequence.

In the song, Kanye, GLC, and Consequence rap about the struggles of poor black men in Chicago. Kanye also mentions working at Gap, which is what Kanye actually did as a teenager.

Production

The song heavily samples Marvin Gaye's 1973 song, "Distant Lover".

Background

According to Plain Pat, the song was originally made for GLC until Kanye played it to Pat, who then convinced Kanye to release it on his album instead.

The song was originally planned to be the sixth and final single for The College Dropout but plans fell through when Kanye began focusing on the rollout for Late Registration (2005).

Alex Wiley released a part two to the track in 2013, and Consequence released a part three in 2017.

Music video

A music video for "Spaceship" was directed by Kanye and filmed in 2005, but it wasn't released until June 1, 2009, when GLC posted it to his blog. Two days later, Kanye posted it to his blog, stating that he didn't like it when he first directed it, but grew to like it. In the video, Kanye acts as a worker in a mall, GLC as his co-worker, and Consequence as a customer. On June 26, 2020, Kanye posted the video on his website to celebrate Yeezy's 10-year partnership with Gap (#WESTDAYEVER).

Lyrics

[Chorus]
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Verse 1]
Man, man, man
If my manager insults me again I will be assaulting him
After I fuck the manager up then I'm gonna shorten the register up
Let's go back, back to the Gap
Look at my check, wasn't no scratch
So if I stole, wasn't my fault
Yeah I stole, never got caught
They take me to the back and pat me
Askin' me about some khakis
But let some black people walk in
I bet they show off their token blacky
Oh now they love Kanye, let's put him all in the front of the store
Saw him on break next to the "No Smoking" sign with a blunt in the mall
Takin' my hits, writin' my hits
Writin' my rhymes, playin' my mind
This fuckin' job can't help him
So I quit, y'all welcome
Y'all don't know my struggle
Y'all can't match my hustle
You can't catch my hustle
You can't fathom my love dude
Lock yourself in a room doin' five beats a day for three summers
That's a different world like three summers
I deserve to do these numbers
The kid that made that deserves that Maybach
So many records in my basement
I'm just waitin' on my spaceship, blaow

[Chorus]
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Verse 2]
And I didn't even try to work a job
Represent the mob
At the same time thirsty on the grind
Chi state of mind
Lost my momma, lost my mind
My life, my love that's not mine
Why you ain't signed?
Wasn't my time
Leave me alone, work for y'all
Half of it's yours, half of it's mine
Only one to ball
Never wanna to fall
Gotta get mine
Gotta take mine
Got a tech nine
Reach my prime
Gotta make these haters respect mine
In the mall 'til 12 when my schedule headset nine
Puttin' them pants shelves
Waitin' patiently I ask myself
Where I want to go, where I want to be
Life is much more than runnin' in the streets
Holla at 'ye, hit me with the beat
Put me on my feet
Sound so sweet
Yes I'm the same ol' G, same goatee
Stayin' low key, nope
Holler at God "Man why'd you had to take my folks?"
Hope to see Freddy G., Yusef G
Love my G, Rolly G
Police watch me smoke my weed and count my G's
Got a lot of people countin' on me
And I'm just tryin' to find my peace
Should of finished school like my niece
Then I wouldn't finally wouldn't use my piece, blaow

[Chorus]
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit (Aw man, all this pressure)
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Verse 3]
I remember havin' to take the dollar cab
Comin' home real late at night
Standin' on my feet all damn day
Tryin' to make this thing right
And havin' one of my co-workers say "Yo you look just like
This kid I seen in the old Busta Rhymes video the other night"
Well easy come, easy go
How that sayin' goes
No more broad service, cars, and them TV shows
I all had that snatched from me
A and R's and their faculties all turn their back on me
And didn't want to hear a rap from me
So naturally actually had to face things factually
Had to be a catastrophe with the fridgest starin' back at me
'Cause nothing's there, nothing's fair
I don't want to ever go back there
So I won't be takin' no days off 'til my spaceship takes off

[Chorus]
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this grave shift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Outro]
I want to fly, I want to fly
I said I want my chariot to pick me up
And take a brother for a ride
(Heaven knows, Heaven knows)

Trivia

• "Spaceship" is the first of only three songs by Ye that is played in 3/4 time signature, the others being "Drunk and Hot Girls" from Graduation (2007) and "No Child Left Behind" from Donda (2021).