Kanye West

Released: March 31, 2016

Featuring: Sampha

Songwriter: Sampha Kanye West

Producer: Kanye West

[Intro: Kanye West]
Yeah, 9:08 L.A. time
Back in the lab and shit

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
My wife said, I can't say no to nobody
And at this rate we gon' both die broke
Got friends that ask me for money knowin' I'm in debt
And like my wife said, I still didn't say no
People tryna say I'm goin' crazy on Twitter
My friends' best advice was to stay low
I guess it's hard to decipher all of the bills
Especially when you got family members on payroll
The media said it was outlandish spendin'
The media said he's way out of control
I just feel like I'm the only one not pretendin'
I'm not out of control, I'm just not in they control
I know I'm the most influential
That TIME cover was just confirmation
This generation's closest thing to Einstein
So don't worry about me, I'm fine
I can see a thousand years from now in real life
Skate on the paradigm and shift it when I feel like
Troll conventional thought, don't need to question
I know it's antiquated so sometimes I get aggressive
Thank God for Jay Electra, he down with the mission
Did it with no permission, on our own conditions
Most blacks with money have been beaten to submission
Yeezy with the big house, did it way different
Never listen to Hollywood producers
Don't stare at money too long, it's Medusa
The ultimate Gemini has survived
I wasn't supposed to make it past 25

[Chorus: Sampha]
Yeah, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
Wonderin' whether God's gonna say hi
Oh, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
And you wonder where is God in your nightlife
Yeah, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
(Father, Father, Father in the night sky)
Wonderin' whether God's gonna say hi
Yeah, I feel like I'm home, yeah, yeah

[Verse 2: Kanye West]
I've been wakin' the spirits of millions more to come
A million illegally downloaded my truth over the drums
I believe in the children, listen to the kids, bro
If the phone ringin', go and get your kids ho
Brother Don Muhammad told the minister about the presentation
He sat back and smiled
Black on black lies is worse than black on black crime
The Jews share their truth on how to make a dime
Most black men couldn't balance a checkbook
But buy a new car, talkin' 'bout "how my neck look?"
Well... it all looks great
Four hundred years later, we buyin' our own chains
The light is before us brothers, so the devil workin' hard
Real family stick together and see through the mirage
The smokescreens, perceptions of false reality
Who the real owner if your boss gets a salary?
I am one with the people
I am one with the people (real!)
I've been woken from enlightened man's dream
Checkin' Instagram comments to crowdsource my self esteem
Let me not say too much or do too much
Cause if I'm up way too much, I'm out of touch
I'm prayin' a out-of-body experience will happen
So the people can see my light, now it's not just rappin'
God, I have humbled myself before the court
Drop my ego and confidence was my last resort
I know, I know He got a plan, I know I'm on Your beams
One set of footsteps, You was carryin' me
When I turned on the news and they was buryin' me
One set of footsteps, You was carryin' me
When I was negotiatin' with Apple, it was Larry and me
Told Tim Cook to call me, I was scary to see
I would've took a hundred million and gave 20 to Hov
I heard it's the way they did it when we only had a stove
But it's better that I stayed at home with my folks
Cause if Jay a billionaire then I'ma never go broke
Only thing I ask is next time I'm on stage we all go
We all go
Not just by myself, lookin' for niggas like where's Waldo
She got the same shoes as my wife but she copped 'em at Aldo
Modern day MJ with a off the wall flow

[Bridge: Sampha]
Nightlife, walk all over me
Walk all over me
I'm deliverin' everything I've ever sent that you'll bring
Fly, fly, fly overseas
Fly overseas
Oh, anywhere, everything but in between
Oh, yeah

[Chorus: Sampha]
Yeah, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
Wonderin' whether God's gonna say hi
Oh, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
And you wonder where is God in your nightlife
Yeah, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
Wonderin' whether God's gonna say hi
(Father, Father, Father in the night sky)
Oh, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
And you wonder where is God in your nightlife
(Father, Father, Father in the night sky)

[Verse 3: Sampha]
Please face me when I speak
Please say to me something before you leave
You've been treating me like I'm invisible, now I'm invisible to you
Oh invisible truths they say, I can't quite understand what you say
Understand, understand, understand I'm standing under oath with my hand on the book
Tell the truth, nothing but the whole truth
And you always give me half of you, half of you
Take half of a shot
Won't you let my heart go?
Make you feel something that I'm feeling

[Chorus: Sampha]
Yeah, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
Wonderin' whether God's gonna say hi
Oh, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
And you wonder where is God in your nightlife
Yeah, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
(Father, Father, Father in the night sky)
Wonderin' whether God's gonna say hi
Oh, you're lookin' at the church in the night sky
And you wonder where is God in your nightlife
(Father, Father, Father in the night sky)

[Produced by Kanye West & Mike Dean]

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.

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