When it comes to Kanye’s most lyrical songs, then “Gorgeous” off My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a top five contender, no question about it.

The track, which also features Kid Cudi and Raekwon, is Kanye at his most defiant and dismissive, daring listeners to find another rapper slash producer doing it better than him. The last verse, in particular, is just epic:

I need more drinks and less lights
And that American Apparel girl in just tights
She told the director she tryna get in a school
He said, "Take them glasses off and get in the pool"
It's been a while since I watched the tube
'Cause like a Crip set, I got way too many blues for any more bad news
I was looking at my resume, feeling real fresh today
They rewrite history, I don't believe in yesterday
And what's a Black Beatle anyway, a fuckin' roach?
I guess that's why they got me sitting in fuckin' coach
My guy said I need a different approach
'Cause people is looking at me like I'm sniffin' coke
It's not funny anymore, try different jokes
Tell 'em hug and kiss my ass, X and O
And kiss the ring while they at it, do my thing while I got it
Play strings for the dramatic ending of that wack shit
Act like I ain't had a belt in two classes
I ain't got it, I'm coming after whoever who has it
I'm coming after whoever, who has it?
You blowin' up, that's good, fantastic
That, y'all, it's like that, y'all
I don't really give a fuck about it at all
'Cause the same people that tried to blackball me
Forgot about two things, my Black balls

In an interview with Complex, legendary producer No I.D., who also worked on the song with Kanye and Mike Dean, revealed that the reason why Kanye was going in so hard on “Gorgeous” was because Jay Electronica had just dropped the incredible “Exhibit C”.

That’s another one we did in Hawaii. I had the music already, and Kanye had the drums. That’s how we worked a lot of times, either he had the music and I had the drums or vice versa. I played the beat for him and he put it in the sampler and he did his little stutter step with it and it hit immediately. That was right around the time when Jay Electronica dropped ‘Exhibit C’ and I remember I said ‘Jay Electronica is the new guy, he’s dope,’ and Ye was real mad, like, ‘What? I’m the guy, I’m the guy’ and he went in and spazzed out on it.

No I.D. Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records | Complex
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