"I Thought About Killing You" | |
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Song by Kanye West | |
from the album Ye | |
Released | June 1, 2018 |
Recorded | 2018 |
Studio | West Lake Ranch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming |
Genre | Spoken word, hip hop |
Length | 4:34 |
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"I Thought About Killing You" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the opening track on his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song was produced by West, Francis and the Lights, and Benny Blanco, with additional production from Mike Dean, Andy C and Aaron Lammer. The production is driven by repetitive a cappella intonations, which play in the background. The lyrical content of the song centers around West's thoughts of suicide and homicide, delivered in both rapping and spoken word. West imparted that he has had suicidal thoughts in an interview with The New York Times.
"I Thought About Killing You" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with some directing praise towards its lyrical content and the beat switch, though other critics expressed negative feelings of such content. The original version of the song contained an unlicensed sample of "Fr3sh" by Kareem Lofty. The sample was removed in November 2018 after legal action was threatened by Lofty's record label, PAN. Though not released as a single, the song peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while reaching top 40 positions on the Canadian Hot 100 and Irish Singles Chart. It has received a gold certification in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America.