Racks in the Middle
by Nipsey Hussle (featuring Roddy Ricch)

Album: Single release only (2019)
Charted: 26
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song features production from Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis, Jr. The Fontana, California beatmaker's other credits include Lil Wayne and Eminem's 2010 single "Drop The World" and Jay-Z and Kanye West's 2011 Watch the Throne track "Niggas in Paris."
  • The song came about as a result of a studio session Nipsey Hussle had booked with Hit-Boy. The first record he played to Nipsey was "Racks in the Middle," which was for an album the producer was working on and included a hook by LA based rapper Roddy Ricch. Nipsey was immediately inspired and asked for a mic.

    "Sometime records will hit you like that, soon as you hear it you don't even want think too long, you don't want to talk, you just like, 'Let's start working,'" Nipsey told Genius. "And that was one of them instances with this one."
  • Nipsey came up with three verses based around Roddy Ricch's concept of riding around in a Jaguar E Type V12, with a stack of thousand dollar bills in the middle. He said:

    "My point of view was just, you know, being in a V12 is already groundbreaking, coming from where we come from, then the thoughts of somebody riding around in the V12, with some racks in the middle, like you just made a pickup or you just came from the bank."
  • The song was released on February 15, 2019, through All Money In and Atlantic Records. Tragically it was the last single Nipsey Hussle released during his lifetime, as he was shot dead on March 31, 2019. In the week following his death, "Racks in the Middle" entered the Hot 100 at #44 giving the late rapper his biggest ever chart hit.
  • This won for Best Rap Performance at the Grammy Awards in 2020. Nipsey Hussle was honored at the ceremony.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.