RoboCop (song)

"RoboCop"
Song by Kanye West
from the album 808s & Heartbreak
Recorded 2008
Genre
Length 4:34
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Kanye West

"RoboCop" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, from his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. It was produced solely by West.[1]

Background

The track leaked in October 2008, around a month before the album's release and West took to his blog following on from this leak to insist that he didn't leak the song, as well as reveal that he's upset about it leaking.[2] Earlier in the month that this happened, it had been revealed by Mike Dean that "RoboCop" was expected to receive a 'magic touch' from Herbie Hancock prior to the release of 808s & Heartbreak and the leaked version obviously hadn't received this, due to West's displeasure with it.[3]

Composition and recording

The track includes a sample of 1998 song "Kissing in the Rain" by Patrick Doyle.[4] A-Trak revealed from working with West on the song that he has an approach to recording where he asks everyone, but is super confident with his vision and West would come up to anyone in the studio with him and be like: "What do you think of this? Okay, cool. How would you do those drums?".[5]

Critical reception

The Guardian had praise for the 'terrific jackhammer rhythm' of "RoboCop".[6] When Pitchfork listed the album's sonic highlights, they pointed to the strings on it.[7]

Live performances

West performed the track for his 2010 live album VH1 Storytellers in February 2009 and spoke about the musical influence for it over the instrumentation.[8] The song was performed by him at the 2015 Hollywood Bowl and West got the crowd to sing along appropiately to the line: "You spoiled little LA girl", since he was performing in Los Angeles.[9] This marked the first time that it'd been performed live since July 9, 2009.[10]

Music video

On August 8, 2014, a clip of the music video surfaced online, which West never officially released.[11] The video was recorded in Los Angeles after West had to persuade Amber Rose to fly there for the recording of it.[12]

Legacy

West released the Kendrick Lamar featuring promotional single "No More Parties in LA" on January 18, 2016, which sees West rapping the lyrics: "We need the turbo thots, high speed, turbo thots/Drop-drop-drop-drop it like Robocop" in reference to his very own creation around eight years after its release.[13] Kim Kardashian West listed "RoboCop" among her top 28 favourite songs by her husband in August of the same year.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 808s & Heartbreak. Roc-A-Fella Records (Media notes). Kanye West. 2008. 0-06025-1791919-8.
  2. ↑ "Kanye West Swears He Didn't Leak 'Robocop'". MTV. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak Album Preview: More Drums, More Singing, 'No Typical Hip-Hop Beats'". MTV. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Kanye West's sampling: a listenable history". The Verge. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  5. ↑ "A-Trak Shares Stories Behind Kanye West's "Gold Digger," "Stronger," & "RoboCop"". Stereogum. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  6. ↑ "CD: Urban review: Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak". The Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Kanye West: 808s and Heartbreak Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Kanye West performs for "VH1 Storytellers"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak Live Show Is Proof Fam' Can't Kill Him". The FADER. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Kanye West performs 808s & Heartbreak in full for the first time - watch". NME. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Watch A Clip From Kanye West's Unreleased "Robocop" Music Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ "A History of Kanye West and Amber Rose's Relationship". Complex. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. ↑ "24 "No More Parties In LA" References Explained, So You Can Look Smart In Front Of Your Friends". Bustle. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Stream Kim Kardashian's playlist of her favourite Kanye West tracks". NME. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
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