Live Fast, Die Young (song)

"Live Fast, Die Young" is the third single by American rapper Rick Ross from his fourth studio album Teflon Don (2010). It features Kanye West, who also stood as the sole producer. The song samples three tracks in its composition. A music video was announced by Ross, but never saw an official release.

Background and recording

"Live Fast, Die Young" was originally conceived by Kanye West as a song for his fifth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) (known at the time under the working title Good Ass Job), with the name Hard Horn Nightmare. In early 2010, during a visit to New York City, West played early versions of "Live Fast, Die Young" and four other songs intended for the album to Complex journalist Noah Callahan-Bever, which had been recorded during sessions in Honolulu, Hawaii. However, "Live Fast, Die Young" would ultimately be given to Rick Ross.

The song contains a prominent sample of "If This World Were Mine" by The Bar-Kays. West told MTV News in October 2010 that he had spent three days listening to CDs before coming across "If This World Were Mine" and the section he wanted to sample; he claimed to have loved the sample so much that he spent the next two days playing it over and over again whilst deciding how to remake it into a song of his own. West further explained how he chose to develop the sample into what became "Live Fast, Die Young":

...I thought about it and said, 'Claps. I want handclaps to go with this sample. That's what I need to juxtapose it and not make it just some takeoff of a '94 hip-hop song, but to make it a 2010, 2011, 2012 futuristic version of itself.' And I started the claps and put the 'hey, hey, hey' and the drums, and I just programmed it."

Composition

The track samples a total of three songs. The songs sampled are: "If This World Were Mine" by The Bar-Kays, "Uphill Peace Of Mind" by Kid Dynamite and "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown. It was viewed by Phil Miter of Noisey Vice as being among West's 2010 productions that: 'depict unreal wealth and power in the process of decay, melting into unrecognizable, disturbing shapes'.

Release

The song leaked online on July 1, 2010, twelve days before being released as a single. On July 21, Ross announced that the music video would be directed by Hype Williams, but the video was never officially released. Roddy Ricch and Ty Dolla Sign covered this song's chorus in Ricch's 2021 release "llf".

Commercial performance

"Live Fast, Die Young" debuted at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs on the week of its release as a single.

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	89

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	July 13, 2010	Rhythmic crossover radio	Maybach Music Group Slip-n-Slide Def Jam

References

^ Teflon Don (CD booklet). Rick Ross. Def Jam. 2010.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Callahan-Bever, Noah (November 2010). "Kanye West: Project Runaway". Complex. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
^ Rodriguez, Jayson (October 29, 2010). "Kanye West Reminds Fans Of His Beatmaking Skills". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
"21st Century Schizoid Man: How Kanye Changed Rap by Making a 70s Prog Album in 2010". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
"Check Out: Rick Ross – "Live Fast, Die Young" (feat. Kanye West)". Consequence of Sound. July 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
"Rick Ross Reveals Hype Williams Will Direct 'Live Fast, Die Young' Video". MTV. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
"Roddy Ricch - live life fast (Intro) short film". YouTube. 9 December 2021.
"Rick Ross Live Fast, Die Young Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
"Rick Ross Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
"Available for Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2018.

v t e Rick Ross
Discography
Studio albums	Port of Miami Trilla Deeper Than Rap Teflon Don God Forgives, I Don't Mastermind Hood Billionaire Black Market Rather You Than Me Port of Miami 2 Richer Than I Ever Been Too Good to Be True with Meek Mill (2023)
Compilation albums	Rise to Power Self Made Vol. 1 (with MMG) Self Made Vol. 2 (with MMG) Self Made Vol. 3 (with MMG)
Mixtapes	Ashes to Ashes Rich Forever The Black Bar Mitzvah Black Dollar
Singles	"Hustlin' " "Push It" "Speedin' " "The Boss" "Here I Am" "Magnificent" "Maybach Music 2" "Super High" "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" "Live Fast, Die Young" "Aston Martin Music" "9 Piece" "You the Boss" "Stay Schemin'" "Touch'N You" "So Sophisticated" "Diced Pineapples" "100 Black Coffins" "No Games" "The Devil Is a Lie" "Thug Cry" "Sorry" "I Think She Like Me" "Gold Roses" "Shaq & Kobe" "Champagne Moments"
Featured singles	"Holla at Me" "Born-N-Raised" "We Takin' Over" "I'm So Hood" "100 Million" "Cash Flow" "Out Here Grindin" "You're Everything" "Welcome to the World" "Til da Sun Come Up" "Champion" "Put Your Hands Up" "All I Do Is Win" "Monster" "Rap Song" "Living Better Now" "Welcome to My Hood" "Swagger Right" "Can a Drummer Get Some?" "Hustle Hard (Remix)" "John" "Tupac Back" "I'm a Boss" "I'm on One" "Anything (To Find You)" "Fly Together" "Take It to the Head" "Bag of Money" "Why" "Lemme See" "Born Stunna" "Pop That" "I Wish You Would" "Beautiful Onyinye" "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" "Dope" "Bugatti" "Millions" "Believe It" "U.O.E.N.O." "Pour It Up (Remix)" "No New Friends" "Poor Decisions" "I Wanna Be with You" "They Don't Love You No More" "Options" "New Flame" "When You Feel This" "Do You Mind" "Money in the Grave "Down Like That" "Run It"
Other songs	"Make It Rain (Remix)" "Devil in a New Dress" "Deuces (Remix)" "The Way You Love Me" "Ambition" "I Am Your Leader" "Ali Bomaye" "FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt" "Nobody" "Sanctified" "Hungry" "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" "God Did"
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