Songfacts®:

• The phrase "On God" is generally used by rappers to assure the listener they're telling the truth - along the lines of "swear on my life." Here, Kanye West uses the term several times both in its traditional and hip-hop sense:
  
  No, I cannot let my family starve
  I go hard, that's on God
  
  And to give thanks for God's blessings and protection.
  
  In '03, they told me not to drive
  I bleached my hair for every time I could've died
  But I survived, that's on God
  
  West is referencing his 2002 car accident, during which he broke his jaw and almost died. He detailed those events on his 2003 track "Through The Wire."
• During the "On God" freestyle, Kanye West outlines his views on:
  
  1. Following God
  
  "How you get so much favor on your side?"
  "Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour," I replied
  
  Jesus Is King follows a Christian theme in which West testifies to a spiritual transformation that has transformed him.
  
  2. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished slavery
  
  Thirteenth amendment, gotta end it, that's on me
  
  When the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865, it abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. However, the amendment features an exception clause that allows for both as punishments. Many believe this has led to the rise of a private prison system where black people are incarcerated at several times the rate of white people. West has previously called for the loophole to be amended while his wife, Kim Kardashian, has worked extensively in the area of prison reform.
  
  3. The Grammys
  
  Before the Grammys ever gave a nod
  I wore my heart on my sleeve, I couldn't hide
  
  Though West is a multiple Grammy winner, he has previously called their scoring system and the way their awards are distributed among the artists. On February 24, 2016, he tweeted.
  
  "I feel the Grammy awarding system is way off and completely out of touch."
• The song's uptempo, fiery beat comes courtesy of Kanye himself, plus:
  
  Milwaukee producer Michael "CAMEone," whose other credits include Rick Ross' "White Lines."
  
  Pi'erre Bourne. The Queens, New York-based producer previously worked with West on his 2018 Ye track "Yikes." Bourne also produced Travis Scott's 2018 Yeezy-featuring single "Watch."
  
  BoogzDaBeast who contributed to seven of the Jesus Is King tracks.
• CAMEone originally created the instrumentation back in 2017 on a newly purchased Prophet Rev 2 and Moog Sub37. It was one of many loops he created after bringing the two synths home. The other three producers then added the bells and whistles to the Milwaukee producer's synth soundscape.