Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Thought I Was Dead
2024 song by Tyler, the Creator featuring Schoolboy Q and Santigold From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
"Thought I Was Dead" is a song by American rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator featuring fellow American rapper Schoolboy Q and American singer Santigold, with physical releases of the album additionally featuring American rapper Playboi Carti. It was released through Columbia Records as the eleventh track from the former's studio album, Chromakopia, on October 28, 2024. The song was produced by Tyler, the Creator himself.
Remove ads
Composition
The song has been considered similar in style to the music of Tyler, the Creator's album Cherry Bomb (2015).[1][2] It contains a horn-led beat with a "busy" drum pattern, while Tyler uses a "bassy" delivery.[1]
Critical reception
The song received generally positive reviews. Elias Andrews of HotNewHipHop wrote of the song, "The chorus is simple and catchy. ScHoolboy Q, who also popped up on a stellar Cherry Bomb cut, brings his typical hybrid of menace and energy to the table. He's the perfect rapper to get on a beat this bizarre."[1] Matt Mitchell of Paste wrote "Tyler and Schoolboy Q go toe-to-toe in a sparring match of dick-swinging verses".[3] Fred Garratt-Stanley of NME commented the song has an "infectious hip-hop bite".[4] Reviewing Chromakopia for Pitchfork, Heven Haile stated "Tyler is an amazing rapper when he wants to be, even on cartoony beats like 'Balloon' and 'Thought I Was Dead.'"[2] Francis Buseko of The Quietus called the song "a powerful declaration of resilience that exudes Tyler's confidence, dismissing doubts and signalling his unapologetic survival."[5]
Remove ads
Controversy
In the lyrics, Tyler references his previous comments in an interview with marketer and media personality Maverick Carter ("White boys mockin' this shit, and y'all mad at me? Y'all can suck my dick / Pull up old tweets, pull up old t-shirts, all that; I moonwalk over that bitch") in which he criticized a "white kid" (allegedly rapper Ian) for mocking rappers like Future and Gucci Mane.[6][7]
Music video
A music video for the song was released on October 26, 2024 in promotion of Chromakopia. It was directed by Tyler, the Creator and shot by Luis "Panch" Perez.[8] In it, Tyler is dressed in a military uniform[9][10] as he dances, prances, marches and stands on the wing of a vintage airplane that appears to be delivering his Chromakopia shipping container in the middle of an airfield.[6][8][9][10][11][12] He is also shown inside the carrier, in a pitch-black background wearing a flesh-toned mask.[9] Men in suits stand guard around the aircraft.[6] The clip is mainly filmed in a sepia tone,[12] but Tyler's attire is revealed to be green in the end.[9]
Remove ads
Alternative version
An alternative version of the song featuring a guest verse from American rapper Playboi Carti appears on the vinyl and CD versions of Chromakopia as a bonus track.[13]
Live performances
During live performances, due to Tyler's asthma, he will often rap the first few lines of his second verse until transitioning into a spoken word version of the song. During Camp Flog Gnaw 2024, Tyler brought out Schoolboy Q by surprise to perform his verse.[14] During the Chromakopia World Tour, Tyler skips Schoolboy Q's verse, instead playing an alternate bridge, before performing his verse.
Charts
Certifications
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads