New God Flow

"New God Flow" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and Pusha T. It was released as the third single from the compilation album Cruel Summer (2012), a collaboration between members of their record label GOOD Music. Produced by West, Anthony Kilhoffer and Boogz & Tapez, "New God Flow" incorporates numerous samples into its arrangement. It features lines by Pusha T directed at American rapper and record producer Birdman. American rapper Ghostface Killah, whose song "Mighty Healthy" is prominently sampled in the song, is featured on an alternate version entitled "New God Flow.1" that appears on Cruel Summer. West and Pusha T performed "New God Flow" on several occasions, including the 2012 BET Awards and Jay-Z's Made in America Festival. The song was awarded Best Beat at the XXL Awards.

"New God Flow"
Single by Kanye West and Pusha T
from the album Cruel Summer
ReleasedJuly 21, 2012 (2012-07-21)
Recorded2012
GenreHip hop
Length4:55 (single version)
5:57 (album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kanye West
  • Boogz & Tapez
  • Anthony Kilhoffer
Pusha T singles chronology
"Mercy"
(2012)		 "New God Flow"
(2012)		 "Dope Bitch"
(2012)
Kanye West singles chronology
"I Wish You Would"
(2012)		 "New God Flow"
(2012)		 "Birthday Song"
(2012)
GOOD Music singles chronology
"Cold"
(2012)		 "New God Flow"
(2012)		 "Clique"
(2012)

Composition

The song's hook is made from a vocal sample of "Mighty Healthy" as performed by Ghostface Killah, which was also later sampled by Madlib in Kanye's 2016 Kendrick Lamar-featured single "No More Parties in LA" from his album The Life of Pablo.[1][2] The main sample used in the song is a piano riff from Marcos Valle's "Bodas De Sangue", from his 1971 album Vento Sul.[1] The drum break in the track is sampled from "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss. In the outro, Kanye references the "I don't know, but I've been told" military cadence.[3]

On the album version, there is a verse by the Wu-Tang Clan member (who is sampled on the original version) replacing Kanye West's GOOD Music chant.[4]

Artwork

On June 27, 2012, West's website was updated for the cover art for "New God Flow".[5] The artwork is styled in black and red, with it revealing track info and key participants.[6] The cover art is nearly identical to that of the GOOD Music single "Mercy" that was released earlier in 2012.[6]

Reception

In comparison to the live performance of it at the 2012 BET Awards, Nathan Reese of Refinery29 viewed the song as what "manages a similarly intense effect, letting Pusha T and Kanye West maintain all the anger and vulnerability they showed at that show".[7] Complex listed the song at #34 on their list of the 50 best songs of 2012.[8] At the XXL Awards in 2013, "New God Flow" won the award for Best Beat.[9]

Lyrical content

Pusha T confirmed in October 2012 that within the song, he was responding to a Birdman interview where the rapper dissed GOOD Music.[10] West raps the pair of lines: "Hold up, I ain't tryna stunt, man/But the Yeezys jumped over the Jumpman", referencing the popularity of his Nike Air Yeezy shoes in comparison to that of the Air Jordan brand.[11] The second line was span in his 2015 promotional single "Facts" to: "Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman".[12]

Live performances

At the 2012 BET Awards, Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz performed their hit single "Mercy", followed by West delivering a solo performance of his single "Cold" and then an a cappella version of his verse on "New God Flow", marking the very first preview of the song.[13]

On July 7, 2012, Kanye West performed "New God Flow" alongside Pusha T as the first performance together of the song in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[14]

On September 1, 2012, Kanye West & Pusha T performed "New God Flow" during their surprise G.O.O.D. Music set at Jay-Z's Made In America Festival, accompanied by Big Sean. The set also included performances of "I Don't Like (Remix)", "Can't Tell Me Nothing" & "Dance (A$$)".[15]

Commercial performance

"New God Flow" performed best on the Canadian Hot 100, managing to chart at number 66 on it.[16] The song peaked at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[17]

Charts
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 66
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 89
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 43

References
  1. Cruel Summer (PDF digital booklet). GOOD Music. Def Jam Recordings. 2012.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Markman, Rob (2016-01-18). "Kanye West Drops 'No More Parties in L.A.' With Kendrick Lamar". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  3. Buckner, Michael (2012-07-03). "Kanye West releases 'New God Flow' collaborated with Pusha T." Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
  4. "Ghostface Killah joins Kanye West and Pusha T on the newly updated 'New God Flow'". FACT Magazine. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  5. Young, Alex (2012-06-27). "Kanye West and Pusha T to release "New God Flow"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  6. HB Team (2012-06-27). "Pusha T featuring Kanye West - New God Flow | Artwork". HYPEBEAST. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  7. Reese, Nathan (2012-07-05). "Kanye West New God Flow". Refinery29. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
  8. Martin, Andrew; Isenberg, Daniel; Drake, David; Baker, Ernest; Ahmed, Insanul; Erwin, Jack; Moore, Jacob; Nostro, Lauren; Scarano, Ross (2012-12-11). "The 50 Best Songs of 2012". Complex. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  9. "First Annual XXL Awards Winners". XXL. 2013-02-13. Archived from the original on 2017-06-25. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  10. "Pusha T Says "New God Flow" Was A Response To A Birdman Interview". HotNewHipHop. 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  11. Markman, Rob (2012-07-03). "Kanye West And Pusha T Get On Their 'New God Flow'". MTV. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  12. Buha, Jovan (2016-02-09). "Kanye West apologizes to Michael Jordan over Jumpman diss in 'Facts'". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  13. Roberts, Randall (2012-07-02). "BET Awards: Five essential moments from Sunday night". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  14. "Watch Kanye West And Pusha T Perform "New God Flow" Live In Atlantic City". Complex. 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  15. "Jay-Z Gets Assist From Kanye at Made in America Festival". Rolling Stone. 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  16. "Kanye West Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  17. "Kanye West Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  18. "Pusha T Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  19. "Pusha T Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  20. "Pusha T Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
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