"Praise God"
Song by Kanye West featuring Travis Scott and Baby Keem
from the album Donda
ReleasedAugust 29, 2021 (2021-08-29)
Recorded2020–2021
GenreTrap
Length3:46
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Praise God" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album Donda (2021). The song features vocals from fellow American rappers Travis Scott and Baby Keem. It also features additional vocals from West's late mother, Donda West, for whom the album is named. The song peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, alongside reaching number 10 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top of the US Gospel and Christian Songs charts.

Background

The beat for "Praise God" was originally produced by 30 Roc and Zentachi in early 2020.[1] The first version of the beat consisted of a sample of a Japanese song with a Spinz 808 pattern. At the first listening event in Atlanta, the sample was swapped out for a choir sample, and by the time of the second listening party, the drums and 808s Zen-tachi and 30 Roc added were taken out completely.[1] Though most of the track was completely different from its original version, 30 Roc and Zen-tachi still received production credits for creating the original track that inspired the song.[1][2] Japanese music producers Machiko Ryu and Kazuhiko Katō also received writing credits for writing the original song that was sampled.[2]

KayCyy, who has writing credits on the track, talked about how the track came together in an interview with HipHopDX:

Even the grittiest side, it's still gospel. It's like 'Let's try to make gospel cooler, how can other people who may not listen to gospel music listen to it and still get the message?' That's what we were trying to crack with all of the hip hop sounding joints on there.[3]

The song appeared on numerous track listing iterations for Donda revealed by West on July 18, 2020.[4][5] The song was first played by West at the first listening event for Donda on July 22, 2021. In the following listening event on August 6, the track received some changes such as more organs being added and the percussion being altered.[6] The first version previewed on had Travis Scott doing the first verses and the hook. On the second version, West cut some of Scott's lines out to fill himself in and substituted the entire hook with himself singing it. About collaborating with West, Keem wrote on Twitter: "Ye, an Idol, an Icon. Forever grateful for the experience of a lifetime".[7]

Composition and lyrics

Lyrically, "Praise God" sees West along with Scott and Baby Keem complimenting Jesus and what He has done for them. The song opens up with the former's late mother, Donda West, reciting an excerpt of Gwendolyn Brooks' poem, "Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward", speaking: "Say to them, say to the down-keepers, the sun-slappers / The self-soilers, the harmony-hushers / Even if you are not ready for the day, it cannot always be night".[8] It focuses on the people who think negatively about life, reminding them that they have a lot to be thankful for in life. The chorus sees West singing: "We gon' praise our way out the grave, dawg / Livin', speakin', praise God / Walkin' out the graveyard back to life / I serve, follow your word / See with a sight", before his mother finishes the last line of the chorus by saying, "Into the night". In the chorus, West focuses on turning his life around and putting his faith and trust in God to give what is right, which helps him see things in a more positive perspective. Scott also discusses his relationship with Christ in both of his verses. In Keem's verse, which closes the song, he raps the line: "Y'all treat your Lord and Savior like renter's insurance, you know what I mean?". He tries to call out the people that do not have belief in Christ's power until something bad happens to them, in which they rely on Him; he compares that to a person ignoring their renter's insurance until they need payment.[9]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[2]

  • Kanye West – vocals, songwriting, production, programming, keyboards
  • Travis Scott – uncredited vocals, songwriting
  • Baby Keem – uncredited vocals, songwriting
  • Donda West – additional vocals
  • 30 Roc – production, songwriting, programming, keyboards
  • Ojivolta
    • Mark Williams – production, songwriting, programming, keyboards
    • Raul Cubina – production, songwriting, programming, keyboards
  • The Twilite Tone – co-production, songwriting
  • Zentachi – co-production, songwriting
  • Mike Dean – co-production
  • Sloane – additional production, songwriting
  • KayCyy – songwriting
  • Maurizio "Irko" Sera – master engineering
  • Mike Dean – master engineering
  • Sean Solymar – mix engineering
  • Tommy Rush – mix engineering
  • Will Chason – record engineering
  • Alejandro Rodriguez-Dawson – record engineering
  • Devon Wilson – record engineering
  • Josh Berg – record engineering
  • Mikalai Skrobat – record engineering
  • Roark Bailey – record engineering
  • Louis Bell – vocal editing
  • Patrick Hundley – vocal editing

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Praise God"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[29] Gold 40,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[30] Gold 50,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[31] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[33] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 703izzy (December 6, 2021). "15-year-old producer Zentachi on creative vision, his contributions to praise god and the box, and more…". 703 Global. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 "Credits / Donda / Kanye West". Tidal. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ HipHopDX (26 September 2021). "Kanye West Held Daily Bible Studies At DONDA Sessions w Preacher & Fivio Foreign". YouTube. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Curto, Justin (September 1, 2021). "An Exhaustive, Exhausting Attempt at Understanding Kanye West's Donda". Vulture. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  5. ↑ Rolli, Bryan (July 18, 2020). "Kanye West Is Apparently, Maybe, Releasing A New Album Called 'Donda' Next Week". Forbes.
  6. ↑ Rindner, Grant (August 9, 2021). "11 Ways Kanye West's Donda Album Has Already Changed". GQ. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ @babykeem (July 23, 2021). "Ye, an Idol, an Icon. Forever grateful for the experience of a lifetime" (Tweet). Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ Lewczyk, Maria (July 23, 2021). "On the scene at Kanye West's 'Donda' playback in Atlanta: "It feels cathartic"". NME. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  9. ↑ Gralia, Luke (August 29, 2021). "The Real Meaning Behind Kanye West's 'Praise God' Featuring Travis Scott". Nicki Swift. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Kanye West – Praise God". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  12. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202135 into search. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Track Top-40 Uge 35, 2021". Hitlisten. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Kanye West – Praise God" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Lög - Vika 35 – 2021". Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 35" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  18. ↑ "2021 35-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Kanye West – Praise God". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202135 into search. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100: 27/08/2021 to 02/09/2021". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot Gospel Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Hot Christian Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Hot Gospel Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Kanye West – Praise God". Music Canada. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Kanye West – Praise God" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  32. ↑ "British single certifications – Kanye West – Praise God". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  33. ↑ "American single certifications – Kanye West – Praise God". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
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