| "Niggas in Paris" | ||||
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| Single by Jay-Z and Kanye West | ||||
| from the album Watch the Throne | ||||
| Released | September 13, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010–2011 | |||
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| Length | 3:39 | |||
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| "Niggas in Paris" on YouTube | ||||
"Niggas in Paris" (edited for radio as "In Paris" or simply "Paris"; censored as "Ni**as in Paris"[1]) is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album, Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by Hit-Boy with West and Mike Dean, while Anthony Kilhoffer contributed additional production. The producers served as co-writers with Jay-Z and Reverend W.A. Donaldson, the latter of whom was credited due to a sample of his work. West took inspiration from the duality of Paris for the song, comparing it to examples like the hood and Hollywood. Jay-Z envisioned the concept as how the two obtained their wealth instead of showing it off, using it as a momentary question of their status. Pusha T was originally offered the beat, yet rejected it due to the playful sound. The beat was crafted by Hit-Boy in five minutes and went unused until he was called by Don C, then he provided it for the song.
An uptempo hip hop and club song with elements of West Coast rap, "Niggas in Paris" features a minimalist beat and samples from "Baptizing Scene" by Donaldson. The song also samples a couple of excerpts of Will Ferrell's character Chazz Michael Michaels from the sports comedy film, Blades of Glory (2007). Lyrically, it carries a theme of black empowerment as Jay-Z and West discuss defying their odds to achieve extensive wealth and success. Jay-Z envisions he would have elsewise found himself in jail, while West asserts that his doctors diagnosed him with an illness for his realness. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. It won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 11th top-five hit for Jay-Z and the 10th for West on the chart. Outside of the United States, it peaked within the top 10 of the charts in the United Kingdom.