Swagga Like Us
by Jay-Z (featuring T.I. & Lil Wayne & Kanye West)

Album: Blueprint 3 (2008)
Charted: 33 5
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Songfacts®:

  • This all-star hip-hop track features T.I., Kanye West and Lil Wayne, all using the Auto-Tune device. West also produced the song.
  • This duet samples M.I.A's "Paper Planes," where the British musician sings, "No one on the corner has swagger like us." M.I.A explained to MTV News that Kanye West emailed her around Christmas 2007 and told her that he listens to "Paper Planes" every day. Months later, he sent her an early version of this song. She added: "I thought it was really hot. He e-mailed the demo version to me. I think T.I. rewrote his verse. It sounded even better once it was done. Kanye just took one sentence and made a whole thing out of it."
  • This was the first track that Kanye West produced after the death of his mother.
  • Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne, Kanye West and a very pregnant M.I.A. performed this at the Grammy Awards in 2009. The guys wore tuxedos, each with various degrees of swagga.
  • The writing credits on this one read: Maya Arulpragasm/Dwayne Carter/Shawn Carter/Clifford Harris/
    Nicky Headon/Mick Jones/Wesley Pentz/Paul Simonon/Joe Strummer/Kanye West.

    Headon, Jones, Simonon and Strummer were members of The Clash who wrote the song "Straight To Hell," which was sampled on "Paper Planes."

Comments: 1

  • Darzia from Washington , DcThis Is Da Dopest Song Ever Written

    But Yea M.I.A Doin Da Damn Thing

    Wish I Was Singing Back Up
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