"Selfish" is a song by American hip hop group

Slum Village Slum Village is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. The group was formerly composed of the rappers Baatin (1974–2009), T3, and rapper / producer J Dilla (1974–2006). J Dilla left in 2001 to pursue a solo career with MCA Record ...

, released on March 16, 2004 as the lead single from their fourth studio album ''

Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) ''Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Slum Village. It was released on June 29, 2004, through Capitol Records, making it their second and final album for the label. The album was produced by B ...

'' (2004). It features American rapper

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, who also produced the song, and American singer

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...

. The song contains a sample of " Call Me" by

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

Background

In an interview with ''

The Source The Source may refer to: Film and television * ''The Source'' (1918 film), 1918 American drama directed by George Melford * ''The Source'' (1999 film), a 1999 documentary film about the Beat generation * ''The Source'' (2002 film), a 2002 scienc ...

'' in February 2024, Slum Village revealed that Kanye West charged $90 thousand dollars for his feature and beat in the song, because he was turned down by a certain A&R when looking for a record deal. The group met with West and then-unknown singer John Legend in the studio, where West played them the beat. Young RJ encouraged West to rap on it, and West immediately recorded a verse. T3 recorded half of his verse before deciding to write his verse at home and recorded his entire verse at the studio the next day.

Elzhi Jason Powers (born May 12, 1978), better known by his stage name Elzhi (stylized as eLZhi), is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made numerous visi ...

could not come up with anything at the time, so they had to wait one more day before mixing the song. Slum Village recalled there were many women at the shoot for the music video.

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

arrived later than the other artists for the filming, as he was leaving a hospital. At the shoot, he was taunted by someone for seemingly being upstaged by Kanye West.

Composition

The song features piano in the production and an R&B-esque chorus sung by John Legend. The lyrics focus on the rappers' attitudes and fondness toward various types of women, especially regarding sexual matters.

Critical reception

Steve 'Flash' Juon of ''RapReviews'' wrote of Kanye West, "Though he's the hot MC and music man of the minute, it's to his credit that he doesn't steal SV's spotlight. T3 seems to have grown into his mic duties nicely, and deserves his shine". Juon further stated, "John Legend gets his propers too, for singing a smooth hook that goes extra nice with Kanye's relaxed and refreshing piano backdrop." Jamin Warren of ''

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'' considered the song among the "few brilliant moments" from ''Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)'' and commented that Legend helps "create a simply ephemeral R&B; cut (although I wonder if Kanye's knack for homonyms on his verses is wearing thin)." Reviewing the album for ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'',

Christian Hoard Christian David Hoard is an American music journalist and music editor for ''Rolling Stone''. A 2000 graduate of the University of Michigan, he began his career as a music journalist writing for the ''Michigan Daily''. He later moved to New York Ci ...

wrote the tracks "Selfish" and "Keep Holding On" find T3 and Elzhi "matching quick-tongued, booty-obsessed verses with smart, sturdy beats, but Slum Village need to refine their strategy before poking their heads above ground again."

Charts

References

{{John Legend 2004 debut singles 2004 songs Slum Village songs Kanye West songs John Legend songs Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Aretha Franklin Capitol Records singles