"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" is a song by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, from their eighth studio album ''
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
''Hot Sauce Committee Part Two'' is the eighth and final studio album by American hip hop band Beastie Boys, released on May 3, 2011, through Capitol Records. The project was originally planned to be released in two parts, with ''Hot Sauce Commi ...
''. Featuring American singer
Santigold
Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. '' Billboard'' presented her in 2022, saying: "Spanning punk rock, hip-hop, and dance music, S ...
, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album on July 26, 2011. "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was written and produced by group members Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, with additional writing by Santigold.
"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was the last Beastie Boys single released before the death of Adam Yauch.
Critical reception
"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Santigold's guest appearance and its
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
feel. Dave Simpson of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' wrote: "Santigold gives 'Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win' some instantly infectious pop reggae sunshine." Kyle Anderson of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' praised the song, calling it "a perfect reggae-kissed summer jam". Matt Diehl of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' called Santigold's guest appearance memorable, and wrote that she added to the track "Brooklyn dancehall fire and a welcome feminine contrast to the b-boy stances." Mark Richardson of
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
wrote that the pairing between the Beastie Boys and Santigold on the track "feels natural and obvious", adding that one "could argue that the Beastie Boys' polyglot approach in the 90s helped clear the way for her style, which mixes an ear for the sound of other cultures with a touch of Lower East Side artiness."
Music video
The music video for "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" was directed by the group's longtime collaborator Spike Jonze. In the video, the Beastie Boys, along with Santigold, are portrayed in action figure form. In the music video, the Beastie Boys play a concert that is attacked by enemy soldiers.Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-QIiVS_7Hs. July 18, 2011. After the Beastie Boys battle with the soldiers,
Nazi Zombies
Nazi zombies are a horror trope found in films, video games, and comic books. Nazi zombie narratives usually feature undead Nazi soldiers resurrected to fight for the Third Reich. The book ''Nazisploitation!: The Nazi Image in Low-Brow Cinema and ...
reanimate from the snow to attack the Beastie Boys. A
The yeti then helps the Beastie Boys escape in a helicopter. More enemy soldiers with jet packs, shoot down the helicopter. The Beastie Boys parachute into shark infested waters, where they are rescued by submarine. A boat full of enemy soldiers attack the submarine with
depth charges
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use h ...
. The Beastie Boys manage to sink the boat full of enemy soldiers, and then go water skiing.
Formats and track listings
*;Digital download
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 2:51
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 3:27
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:12
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:04
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 3:32
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:13
# "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" – 4:05