Cold

Album: Cruel Summer (2012)
Charted: 86
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Songfacts®:

  • This song finds West admitting to having feelings for Kim Kardashian when she was dating her ex husband Kris Humphries. "And I'll admit, I fell in love with Kim 'round the same time she fell in love with him. Well, that's cool, baby girl, do your thang. Lucky I didn't have Jay drop him from the team," he raps. West is of course referring in the last line to his Throne partner Jay-Z, who owns a piece of the New Jersey Nets, the team Humphries played for. The tune was premiered on Funkmaster Flex's radio show on April 4, 2012, around the time that West started publicly dating the TV reality star.
  • The tune is a collaboration with DJ Khaled. "I was in the studio with 'Ye, and I was like, 'Let's do something for your album, and let's do something for my album,'" Khaled told MTV News. The twosome previously hit the studio together when West provided a turn on Khaled's 2008 single "Go Hard."
  • G.O.O.D. Music producer Hit-Boy provided the song's beat. The beatmaster initially didn't plan on West being part of the record. "I actually had sent that beat to Khaled, and Khaled gave it to 'Ye," he told MTV News. "It was supposed to be for Khaled's album, and 'Ye was just like, 'This needs to be out now; this is an urgent record.'"
  • West also shares his respect for Wiz Khalifa, whose engagement to 'Ye's former model girlfriend Amber Rose was announced in March 2012. "And the whole industry want to f--- your old chick/ Only n---- I got respect for is Wiz." he raps.
  • The animal-rights organization PETA (or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) gets less respect from 'Ye, who baits them on the song's hook. "Someone tell PETA my mink is draggin' on the floor," he spits. PETA's senior vice president Dan Mathews responded in a statement to MTV News: "What's draggin' on the floor is Kanye's reputation as a man with no empathy for animals or human beings. He's a great musician but doesn't seem to have the fashion sense to design anything more than caveman costumes."
  • Theraflu is an over-the-counter anti-cold medicine, which was initially referenced in both the song title and the single's artwork. The makers of the product were not impressed. "We in no way endorse or approve of the references or use of the image and likeness of Theraflu in this manner," a spokesman for the company told TMZ. As a result of the objections from the cold remedy makers the song title was changed to "Way Too Cold." The single's artwork was also altered with a white bottle replacing the previously shown branded bottle of Theraflu.
  • So what does Kim Kardashian think of the song? When the reality star stopped by the Today show, the conversation turned to her relationship with West. "I completely respect and understand that you have to ask these questions, but as I've said before, Kanye and I have been friends for years," said Kardashian before adding, "You never know what the future holds or where my life will take me. So… I like the song!"
  • The Hype Williams directed music video also features another Khaled and West cut, "I Wish You Would." We see Kanye cuddling with Kim Kardashian at around the 5:15-mark, during the verse where he confesses his feelings for the reality TV star.
  • So what does Hova think of West's diss towards Kris Humphries? ("Lucky I ain't had Jay drop him from the team"). Speaking to Big Boy's Neighborhood on Power 106, the Marcy MC revealed that 'Ye first freestyled the track for him while on tour, adding, "it's rap music; sometimes it rubs you the wrong way."

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