US Placers
Encyclopedia
"Us Placers" is the debut song of Child Rebel Soldier
, a supergroup
consisting of rap
artists Lupe Fiasco
, Kanye West
and Pharrell Williams
. The song was produced by Lupe Fiasco
and contains sample
s of Thom Yorke
's "The Eraser
". The track appears on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing
mixtape and has circulated throughout the internet. Having been released on an exclusive mixtape, the song did not enter the charts but became an online hit and received widespread critical appreciation, managing to become listed at number forty-three on Rolling Stone
, who initially crafted the song for inclusion within his own mixtape
. Fiasco's intention was to create a mashup
mixtape entitled, Us Placers, a hip-hop
remake of alternative rock
musician Thom Yorke
's solo album, The Eraser
coupled with a few Radiohead
songs. He originally wanted Kanye West
and English rapper The Streets
to appear on the track. However, Streets failed to respond while West sent the song over to Pharrell Williams
after laying down a verse. The three enjoyed the collaboration so much that they decided to form their very own group, and Pharrell came up with their name, Child Rebel Soldier. Early tracklistings for West's third studio album Graduation
indicated that he intended to feature the group's song on his album, but it was subsequently not included.
with a moderate tempo
of 120 beats per minute. The song contains samples of "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke, as it incorporates the song's piano
loops along with portions of Yorke's vocals for its chorus
. It begins with a medium tempo following its hesitant piano medley, with chords arranged in the progression of and Lupe uttering, "Yeah, just a lil' bit, just a lil' bit. And it goes..." Lupe, Kanye, and Pharrell then recite the song's three verses over a sparse, pulsating beat, each followed by the contrasting chorus provided by the vocal sample coupled with an alternating hook
delivered by Lupe, whose vocals implement overdubbing
. The song ends with an echoing reiteration of its piano keys.
Lyrically, the song, like its music, carries a somber tone and is largely retrospective. "Us Placers" discusses the empty lure of wealth, the perils of fame, and the price people pay in the pursuit of recognition. Lupe's verse addresses the over-indulgent lifestyles of celebrities and the false promise of materialism. Kanye muses over reality television and internet celebrity, implying the inevitable fate of all who become instantly famous if only for a short time
. Pharrell takes a more stream-of-consciousness approach to his verse, swiftly addressing various issues ranging from greenhouse gases, drug dealers, the will of God
and the motive behind the Virginia Tech massacre
, indirectly connecting them all to the desire of recognition and notoriety. In between each verse, Yorke's melodious vocals sing a mournful chorus which complements the rap artists' concept of the sisyphean
pursuit of fame.
cited "Us Placers" as the best track on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing
mixtape. Complimenting the poignant use of the sample as well as the depth of the three's individual verses, it wrote, "Each brings something wholly new to the other, trading self-effacement and self-possession back and forth until there’s no difference between the two. For this 3:53, hip-hop isn’t dead, and neither is rock
. They’re quietly invincible.". Stylus Magazine
concurred with this sentiment, describing the song as "deep" and praising the dexterity of Pharrell’s verse in particular.
's "Subterranean Homesick Blues
". Despite its low-budget, unofficial nature, the video was very well-received, garnering well over one million views on YouTube
alone. It has since gone on to have caught the attention of Kanye West, who expressed his affinity by posting the video up on his official blog.
, to the delight of the largely alternative rock audience.
Child Rebel Soldier
Child Rebel Soldier, shortened CRS, is a hip hop supergroup composed of hip hop artists Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pharrell Williams.-History:...
, a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
consisting of rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artists Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
. The song was produced by Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
and contains sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
s of Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
's "The Eraser
The Eraser (song)
"The Eraser" is a song by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, and the first track on his 2006 album of the same name. The piano chords heard throughout the song were sampled from a recording Yorke made of Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood....
". The track appears on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing
Can't Tell Me Nothing (mixtape)
Can't Tell Me Nothing: The Official Mixtape is a mixtape by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. It was made freely available over the internet on May 27, 2007 in anticipation of the release of his third studio album, Graduation.-Background:...
mixtape and has circulated throughout the internet. Having been released on an exclusive mixtape, the song did not enter the charts but became an online hit and received widespread critical appreciation, managing to become listed at number forty-three on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Background
"Us Placers" was produced by Lupe FiascoLupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
, who initially crafted the song for inclusion within his own mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
. Fiasco's intention was to create a mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
mixtape entitled, Us Placers, a hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
remake of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
musician Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
's solo album, The Eraser
The Eraser
The Eraser is the debut solo album by Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006. The album debuted at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and at #2 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. Critical reception to the album was generally positive...
coupled with a few Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
songs. He originally wanted Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and English rapper The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
to appear on the track. However, Streets failed to respond while West sent the song over to Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
after laying down a verse. The three enjoyed the collaboration so much that they decided to form their very own group, and Pharrell came up with their name, Child Rebel Soldier. Early tracklistings for West's third studio album Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
indicated that he intended to feature the group's song on his album, but it was subsequently not included.
Music and lyrics
"Us Placers" is an up-tempo hip hop song. It is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 120 beats per minute. The song contains samples of "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke, as it incorporates the song's piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
loops along with portions of Yorke's vocals for its chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. It begins with a medium tempo following its hesitant piano medley, with chords arranged in the progression of and Lupe uttering, "Yeah, just a lil' bit, just a lil' bit. And it goes..." Lupe, Kanye, and Pharrell then recite the song's three verses over a sparse, pulsating beat, each followed by the contrasting chorus provided by the vocal sample coupled with an alternating hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
delivered by Lupe, whose vocals implement overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
. The song ends with an echoing reiteration of its piano keys.
Lyrically, the song, like its music, carries a somber tone and is largely retrospective. "Us Placers" discusses the empty lure of wealth, the perils of fame, and the price people pay in the pursuit of recognition. Lupe's verse addresses the over-indulgent lifestyles of celebrities and the false promise of materialism. Kanye muses over reality television and internet celebrity, implying the inevitable fate of all who become instantly famous if only for a short time
15 minutes of fame
15 minutes of fame is short-lived, often ephemeral, media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to...
. Pharrell takes a more stream-of-consciousness approach to his verse, swiftly addressing various issues ranging from greenhouse gases, drug dealers, the will of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and the motive behind the Virginia Tech massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
, indirectly connecting them all to the desire of recognition and notoriety. In between each verse, Yorke's melodious vocals sing a mournful chorus which complements the rap artists' concept of the sisyphean
Sisyphus
In Greek mythology Sisyphus was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity...
pursuit of fame.
Critical reception
Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
cited "Us Placers" as the best track on West's Can't Tell Me Nothing
Can't Tell Me Nothing (mixtape)
Can't Tell Me Nothing: The Official Mixtape is a mixtape by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. It was made freely available over the internet on May 27, 2007 in anticipation of the release of his third studio album, Graduation.-Background:...
mixtape. Complimenting the poignant use of the sample as well as the depth of the three's individual verses, it wrote, "Each brings something wholly new to the other, trading self-effacement and self-possession back and forth until there’s no difference between the two. For this 3:53, hip-hop isn’t dead, and neither is rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. They’re quietly invincible.". Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
concurred with this sentiment, describing the song as "deep" and praising the dexterity of Pharrell’s verse in particular.
Music video
Though the group has yet to release a music video for the song, an uncommisioned video was produced by director Va$htie. The video features ten-year-old child impersonators standing respectively in for Lupe, Kanye, Pharrell, and even Thom Yorke who illustrate imagery described in the song's lyrics and hold up cue cards in reference to Bob DylanBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Subterranean Homesick Blues
Subterranean Homesick Blues
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally released in 1965 as a single on Columbia Records, catalogue 43242. It appeared 19 days later as the lead track to the album Bringing It All Back Home. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also...
". Despite its low-budget, unofficial nature, the video was very well-received, garnering well over one million views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
alone. It has since gone on to have caught the attention of Kanye West, who expressed his affinity by posting the video up on his official blog.
Live performance
Lupe Fiasco provided a solo performance of "Us Placers" on August 5, 2007 during his set at LollapaloozaLollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, to the delight of the largely alternative rock audience.