"White Label" (originally known as "Bad People") is a song by Nas that was released as the third track from his eleventh studio album, NASIR (2018).[1] The song was produced by Kanye West along with MIKE DEAN, BoogzDaBeast, and Noah Goldstein.[1]
Production[]
The song's beat is based around Shahram Shabpareh's 2011 song, "Prison Song".[2] The song runs at a tempo of 151 BPM in the B key with a major mode and a time signature of 4/4.
Background[]
The song was initially made some time in August 2017 and was initially supposed to be a song entitled "Bad People" with a feature from Bon Iver that was intended for Ye's solo album of the time, LOVE EVERYONE long before he had met up with Nas. Kanye was seen mumbling to the beat in the documentary, 500 Days In UCLA.[3]
When the direction of the album shifted into ye on May 25th, 2018, the song was among the few that was carried into the new album. Justin Vernon's vocals had later been cut and both writers Consequence and Malik Yusef had recorded references to help Ye finish his verse, though he never recorded for those and the song was not met with a release on the album.
When Ye and Nas began collaborating on Nas' album NASIR, he would hand the song off to him. Ye was intended to feature on the song as well, though he never finished his verse and was cut from the song a day from release.[4] On June 15, the song would release as a part of Nas' album NASIR.
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Mano & Shahram Shabpareh]
Y'all n*ggas better not be coming around me with that fugazi no more, you know? Got that thang for your ass, you know?
(I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
I'm gonna have to leave you)
[Verse 1: Nas]
A vet stylin' in Met Gala, tuna salad from La Scala
Black sweats, swallow a lot of reefer
God, it hard to quit the bottom feeder, lobster eater
When I fast, I see Elijah's features
A million cash for a Nas feature
Nah it's cheaper, do it for free if you do it for me
52 bar verse if the beat is movin' me
Stumble through customs, coppin' Cubans at the Duty Free
Layin' on the most expensive beds, still I'm losin' sleep
Next to Jet's Beauty of the Week 1993
Chin-grabber, neck-choker, in-her-mouth-spitter
Blouse-ripper, ass-gripper, that dig-you-out n*gga
I ain't gon' hold you, old head gave me old news
I don't owe you, shoulda heard when I told you
You are an extension of what I've worked hard to build
You believe in your own lies, can't be real
And the odds is that what you love can kill you
Like a heart physician who dies from a heart attack
I know the consumer behavior, I target that
You impressed with what they wearin', I started that
[Verse 2: Nas]
It's kinda terrific, the product of Slick Rick
Somebody woulda told me then I would come outta this shit rich
And start up a business, I woulda thought they was playin'
All them n*ggas I ran with, all that weight they was weighin'
A light bulb switched in my mind at the classes I cut
Just a spazz, puttin' wax in the blunt
The baddest I want, she wear Lipmatic to front
We building businesses, you can be mad if you want
It's bubbly 'til it's bubbles we see
Drinkin' like Dean Martin is nothin' to me
The spirits is somethin' I can't part and it's fun to be me
So cheers, here's to the Kanye production this eve
War of the Roses, it's war, baby
My n*gga High said it's me, I drive 'em all crazy
[Outro: Shahram Shabpareh]
(I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna)