Cops Shot the Kid

"Cops Shot the Kid" is a song by American rapper Nas, featuring fellow rap artist Kanye West, from his eleventh studio album, Nasir (2018).

"Cops Shot the Kid"
Song by Nas featuring Kanye West
from the album Nasir
Recorded2018
StudioWest's ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Genre
Length2:47
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • West
  • Dawson (add.)

Background

This track does not mark West's only guest appearance on the featuring album, since he is also featured on "Everything".[1] Nas took to Instagram shortly after the song had generated attention as a standout from the album and paid homage to Slick Rick, since he's sampled and behind the inspiration for it.[2]

Composition

For the background vocals saying: "The cops shot the kid" throughout the vast majority of "Cops Shot the Kid", a sample from "Children's Story" by Slick Rick is used.[3] The speech in the track's intro is sampled from a scene including Richard Pryor in 1973 Stax Records film Wattstax.[4]

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews. NME described it as being: 'a track full of evocative images', and labelled the Rick sample as being both 'breathless' and 'frantic'.[5] Rolling Stone viewed "Cops Shot the Kid" as being the album's 'most cogent song' and branded West's appearance as a 'lone guest verse'.[6]

Commercial performance

Upon the release of Nasir, the track debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[7] This made it the only song from the album to enter that chart.[8]

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 97
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 96
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 49

References
  1. "Nas Releases 'Nasir' Album". XXL. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  2. "Nas Pays Homage To The Inspiration Behind Must-Hear NASIR Song "Cops Shot The Kid"". SOHH.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  3. "Nas's 'Cops Shot the Kid' sample of Slick Rick's 'Children's Story'". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  4. "Nas's 'Cops Shot the Kid' sample of Richard Pryor scene in Wattstax". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  5. "Nas - 'Nasir' review". NME. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  6. "'Nasir' Is the One Thing the Rapper Has Never Been Before - Dull". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  7. "Nas Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. "Chart Search". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  10. "Nas Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  11. "Nas Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
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