Super High
by Rick Ross (featuring Ne-Yo)

Album: Teflon Don (2010)
Charted: 100
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the first official single from American rapper Rick Ross's fourth studio album, Teflon Don. The song is helmed by hip hop producing legend DJ Clark Kent together with production team the Remedy and features Ross' Def Jam label mate Ne-Yo.
  • During a conference call with Def Jam, Clark Kent saluted Ross. "I wanted to congratulate Rick Ross," Kent said. "I said, 'Please listen to this song. It's not for anybody else. It's for you.' I said, 'This is for you. Don't put none of your friends, no other artists on it. This is made for you.' I wanna say thank you for f---in' with it. What you did to the song, I wanna say thank you."
  • F. Gary Gray directed the video, the first clip he's helmed since Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got" in 2006. Ross told MTV News: "When I started brainstorming about visual ideas, I started flipping through some of my favorite movies, such as 'Friday,' such as Set It Off, such as The Italian Job, The Negotiator. Most recently, Law Abiding Citizen. What all these films had in common was they was all directed by F. Gary Gray. That's when I decided: 'This is my favorite director of all time.' Shout out to F. Gary Gray. I reached out to my homie, he just came aboard to direct 'Super High.'"
  • This is the second collaboration between Ross and Ne-Yo following Deeper Than Rap's "Bossy Lady."
  • Ne-Yo told MTV News that it was their working relationship that convinced Ross to hook up with him for this song. "It was a chemistry thing, so when he put this one together, he said I was one of the first people he called about it," Ne-Yo explained. "Ross is just a cool dude. I respect his lyrical ability. There's only a few in the game that really say something when they say something, and Ross is one of those few. So it's just an honor to be on the joint."
  • Despite the song title, Ne-Yo told MTV News the song has nothing to do with drugs. He explained: "It's just about feeling good. Doing things that maybe regular people can't do. You work hard so you get to play hard."
  • Ross told MTV News that that he was inspired to write the song while looking down at Central Park from Diddy's penthouse in Manhattan. "The concept actually came from me and Diddy - we was running around New York City one night, went back to his penthouse and that's where the actual term 'super high' comes from," he explained. "It's 5 o'clock in the morning. I'm just burning, I'm thinking. [Diddy] turned on Purple Rain, Prince. A few homies were in there - D Roc, me and him reminiscing, talking about Biggie. After the conversation I just stopped watching the movie and walked to the huge window. And I was reflecting like, 'Wow.' It had me reflecting on how far I came as a artist and as a person.
    When you trying to get better as an artist, a lot of times we coming from the streets. We're flawed in a lot of ways. We trying to get better as people. I was reflecting on that, realizing how significant the title Teflon Don is, even though that was one of my first rap names and one of the first tattoos I got. I just came with the whole first verse looking out the view: 'From my n---a Diddy view, I think I see his vision too/ Purple Rain over Central Park, chillin' with my goons.' I was just capturing them moments and putting it over beats."
  • The music video features Ross as a motorcycling bad boy who proves irresistible to a beautiful girl played by Clueless actress Stacey Dash. Ross told MTV News that Diddy introduced him to the director of the clip, F. Gary Gray, "one night." He added: "When I completed the record, I flew out to L.A. and met with him. I played [the track] for him. I gotta shout him out big time. But the video is actually like flashback of [the movie] Easy Rider- a bunch of homies hoggin' the highway. We run across a beautiful young lady which happens to be Stacie Dash, and a dude - he's a d----- bag. I end up snatching her and spending the rest of the evening with her, the way a boss should."

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.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Chris Frantz of Talking Heads

Chris Frantz of Talking HeadsSongwriter Interviews

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz on where the term "new wave" originated, the story of "Naive Melody," and why they never recorded another cover song after "Take Me To The River."