Yah (song)
"Yah" (stylized as "YAH.") is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The third track on the album (twelfth on the Collector's Edition of Damn),[2] the song was written by Lamar, Mark Spears, a.k.a. Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Anthony Tiffith, and produced by, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Tiffith, with additional production by Bēkon.
| "Yah" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Kendrick Lamar | |
| from the album Damn | |
| Recorded | 2017 |
| Studio | Jungle City |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:40 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
The song's title refers to "Yahweh", a romanization of the name of the Abrahamic God in the Hebrew Bible (יהוה).[3][4][5]
Lyrics Edit
The song shows Lamar expressing his inner thoughts, a subject he rarely touches upon in interviews.[6]
In the lyrics, Lamar calls out Fox News' reporter Geraldo Rivera, who criticized Lamar's performance of "Alright" at the BET Awards 2015.[4][6][7]
The song makes multiple references to religion, a theme Lamar would reference multiple times throughout Damn.[4][8] Lamar specifically references the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book from the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.[4][9] Lamar mentions his cousin, Carl Duckworth, who teaches Lamar about the Book of Deuteronomy and how the book talks about penalties for breaking the rule of God.[6][10][11] A voicemail snippet from Carl appears in the song "Fear", also from Damn,[12] during which he espouses the beliefs of the Hebrew Israelite group where he is a member.[13][14] At one point, Lamar raps "I'm a Israelite, don't call me black no mo'," which is a clear reference to Black Israelism.[15]
According to Spin magazine, the song drew influence from American rapper Kanye West's song "Jesus Walks" from his first studio album The College Dropout, a song that also drew biblical allusions.[9]
Credits and personnel Edit
Credits adapted from the official Damn digital booklet.[1]
- Kendrick Lamar – songwriter
- Mark Spears – songwriter, producer
- Dacoury Natche – songwriter, producer
- Anthony Tiffith – songwriter, producer
- Bēkon – additional production, additional vocals
- Derek Ali – mixing
- Tyler Page – mix assistant
- Cyrus Taghipour – mix assistant
- Geraldo Rivera – additional vocals
Charts Edit
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[16] | 67 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] | 27 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[18] | 79 |
| France (SNEP)[19] | 96 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[20] | 100 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[21] | 29 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] | 100 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] | 30 |
| Portugal (AFP)[24] | 24 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[25] | 39 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] | 69 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[27] | 45 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[28] | 32 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[29] | 18 |
Certifications Edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[30] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[31] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References Edit
- ^ a b "Digital Booklet - DAMN. copy.pdf". DocDroid. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ India, Lindsey (December 8, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar Surprises Fans With 'Damn.' Collector's Edition". XXL. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ "The Hebrew Name for God - YHVH". www.hebrew4christians.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Kendrick Lamar – YAH., retrieved April 24, 2017
- ^ "Review: Kendrick Lamar's new album is out, and God DAMN, it is good". Firstpost. April 18, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c Tardio, Andres (April 20, 2017). "14 Times Kendrick Lamar Made Us Say 'DAMN.' on His Album". Rap-Up. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn.': A Track-by-Track Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.': A track-by-track instant review". USA Today. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "10 Songs That Influenced Kendrick Lamar's DAMN". Spin. April 18, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar: Making Sense of His World, One Bible Verse at a Time". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "On DAMN., Kendrick Lamar Is Both Pious And Imperfect". The Fader. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Is Rapper Kendrick Lamar A Hebrew Israelite — Like Amar'e Stoudemire?". The Forward. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Inside The Hebrew Israelite Movement That's Inspiring Kendrick Lamar & Kodak Black". Genius. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ "How Kendrick Lamar Was 'Blown Away' By Hebrew Israelite Beliefs". The Forward. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ Shreve, Grant (2018-05-07). . JSTOR Daily. Archived from the original on 2018-05-11.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Yah." (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201716 into search. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Yah." (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Yah." (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Yah." (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 1, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Yah.". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201716 into search. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Yah.". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Yah". Music Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Yah". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 7, 2018.