"Diet Coke" is a song by American rapper

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...

. It was released on February 8, 2022 as the lead single from his fourth studio album '' It's Almost Dry'' (2022). Produced by

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 ...

and 88-Keys, the song references

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

and

drug dealing The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types ...

Background

On February 7, 2022, 88-Keys revealed that he produced the instrumental of the song in 2004, as an interlude for his beat tape, ''The Makings of Crack-Cocaine''. The cover art of the single was designed by Sterling Ruby. It shows a "mash-up of melting faces with crude metallic letters" spelling "Diet Coke".

Composition and lyrics

The song begins with a sample of rapper

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...

yelling, "Yesterday's price is not today's price". Over a piano-driven

boom bap Boom bap is a subgenre and music production style that was prominent in East Coast hip hop during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The term "boom bap" is an onomatopoeia that represents the sounds used for the ...

beat, Pusha T raps about selling cocaine and references his tough upbringing: "Imaginary players ain't been coached right / Master recipes under stove lights / The number on this jersey is the quote price / You ordered Diet Coke, that's a joke, right?" He declares his appreciation for Kanye West as well ("Far as I'm concerned, who's the best? Me and Yezos").

Critical reception

''Complex'' writers Eric Skelton, Andre Gee and Jessica McKinney positively reviewed the song. Skelton and McKinney praised the beat, while Gee praised how Pusha T raps only about one topic and can "still come off sounding fresh". All three writers also expressed approval toward how Pusha does not diss rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

in the song.

Music video

The music video was released on February 8, 2022. It was shot in black-and-white and directed by Omar Jones. It sees Pusha T rapping as Kanye West dances in the white background, and reclining on a sofa.

Live performances

Pusha T first unveiled the song during a performance at

Nigo is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), record producer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of the streetwear brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape), and currently serves as artistic director for Kenzo. Additionally he is a member ...

's Kenzo Paris Fashion Week show in January 2022. In March 2022, he performed the song at ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

''.

Remixes

American rappers

Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrat ...

and

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...

released a freestyle of the song on February 16, 2022.

Charts

References

{{Pusha T songs 2022 singles 2022 songs Pusha T songs Def Jam Recordings singles Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs about cocaine Songs written by Pusha T Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Fat Joe Songs written by Jerry Butler Songs written by Marvin Yancy Songs written by 88-Keys