Released: November 12, 2010

Featuring: Consequence Talib Kweli

Songwriter: Kanye West Talib Kweli Consequence

Producer: Q-Tip

[Intro: Kanye West]
Uh, we got the black elite in the house tonight
Rosewood
I feel like I'm at the NAACP or something right now
The Essence Festival
Q-Tip on the beat too, uh, uh

[Chorus: Kanye West]
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
They try to tell me my chain broke the levee
Maybe 'cause it's flooded
Why you walk around with a baby cross's cousin?
My teeth already white, y'all gon' make me floss for nothing
My teeth real diamonds, what's the cause of the frontin'?
Why y'all got all caps on?
Don Cheadle time, get extra black on 'em
Burn, Hollywood, burn
Take too long for niggas to get they turn
Probably be cremated before I get my earn
They try to tell me that aliens built the pyramids
I swear life's a bitch on her period
For every inch they cut the nose off the Sphinx
I make my jeweller add a few more links
You can look at me, tell I ain't fuck what nobody think
And my face always lookin' like somebody stinks

[Chorus: Kanye West]
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy

[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
Here we go, like we should
Feel the sweat, on your face
Here we go, like we should
Feel the sweat, on your face
Alright, okay
Here we go, like we should
Like we should, like we should
Like we should

[Verse 2: Kanye West]
Question:
What color was the skin of the man who beared the cross?
No matter how many lashes, they couldn't beat it off
How many Cassius' will we see in one lifetime?
That's why it's Miles Davis, Kobe, it's Mike time
I keep that GOAT book on the ottoman
And wrote hooks about slaves that was slaughtered
In the 1800s; y'all forget that
I got called "Nigga" on Twitter so many times, yo, I lived that
Now I'm just tryna find where to raise my kids at
'Cause they don't want niggas next to where they crib at
Hey, realtor, I'm lookin' for a nice park
Twelve noon, she said my family gon' make it too dark
This is the flow that solar eclipses
So hopefully one day that real soul will eclipse
The bullshit they got us listenin' to, in this existence
Don't give up now, just a little more persistence
I am the day Ice Cube met Michael Jackson
Keep 'em away, hanh! Something might happen
This is the makin' of a masterpiece
So we broke out the chains and told the master, "Peace!"

[Chorus: Kanye West]
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy

[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
Here we go, like we should
Feel the sweat, on your face
Here we go, like we should
Feel the sweat, on your face
Alright, okay
Here we go, like we should
Like we should, like we should
Like we should

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
Some wear a suit and tie, they don't wanna remain average
Some wear a suit and tie like a chain and a straitjacket
My chain heavy, stop in that traffic, coppers harass us
Then DA attack us, want us in chains like B.A. Baracus
So no major factor in my decision to be a rapper
Was rebellion; being anti-establishment was attractive
To a black kid from Brooklyn, flames got the thangs cooking
Land of the juks where them lames get them chains tooken
It ain't lookin' good for you if you're a tourist here
Sometimes I rhymes the sort of frequency that only purists hear
A couple rappers tried to beef with me, nobody's scared
Niggas was so fucking corny that nobody cared
Why I gotta battle rappers? I debate scholars
Question: do it gotta make sense if it make dollars?
Sick visions is living inside of brains
It's like we sadomasochistic, addicted to whips and chains
Figuratively, quite literally, clinically insane
Spit flames and then visit the higher plane
Try in vain to ignore it, don't buy the chain if you can't afford it
'Ye, them lonely-idled whores by the boards, trust

[Verse 4: Consequence]
That old ball-and-chain had me chained up for weeks
So of course I'm off the chain as soon as I hit the streets
And now when we link she saying the game's over
I drove her crazy and she became a chain smoker
Now the new dude she's saying that can stay over
Should be a chain, who goes by the name of Choker
That's what he did when she told him he should play the sofa
So the chains on the door, I'm on the way over
Now when I came over, his only response
Was, "You must be the owner of a chain of restaurants
'Cause I'mma eat your food for that chain that I wore
'Cause you be running 'round like the chain make the man"
So it's obvious the he don't know the chain of command
'Cause my chain commands, that kind of respect
And it's so chunky that it's a pain in the neck
But it came with a check, I remember on chaining day
It spoke for itself and this is what the chain would say
"Them chain snatchers are hoping that you ain't ready
So don't get distracted, keep your aim steady
Or there'll be a chain reaction since my chain's heavy"

[Chorus: Kanye West]
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy
My chain heavy, yeah, yeah, my chain heavy
My chain heavy, my chain too heavy

[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
Here we go, like we should
Feel the sweat, on your face
Here we go, like we should
Feel the sweat, on your face
Alright, okay
Here we go, like we should
Like we should, like we should
Like we should

Kanye West

The ubiquitous Kanye West—from his famous quip, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” to “I'ma let you finish,” to marrying Kim Kardashian, to announcing that he’s running for President, and admitting his love for President Trump—you can see that he’s a staple of the tabloids and the entertainment world, industry-wide.

That certainly doesn’t take anything away from his music; as a matter of fact, it only seems to add to his fortuitous career. For instance, his 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was universally praised by fans and critics alike; it was recorded during the backlash he received from the Swift interruption and during his break-up with then-girlfriend Amber Rose.

He has scored other well-known hits, as well, from each of his previous studio albums—such as “Stronger,” “Heartless,” and “Gold Digger.” Each of his albums has been massive critical and commercial successes, including his collaboration album with JAY-Z, Watch the Throne. As of 2020, West has won an astounding 21 Grammys, tied with JAY-Z as the most decorated hip-hop artist in Grammy history.