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"Saint Pablo" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring prominent vocals by British singer Sampha. It originally surfaced online on March 31, 2016, after it had been leaked onto Apple Music for a few hours. The song was later added to West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016) on June 14, 2016.

Composition

The song addresses West's thoughts and insecurities, including the Twitter controversies and a debt he had of $53 million.

"Saint Pablo" was produced by West himself and Mike Dean, with co-production from Allen Ritter and additional production from Noah Goldstein. It features vocals from Sampha, who sings the hook and the third verse. The song contains samples of "Where I'm From", written by Jay-Z, Deric Angelettie, Ronald Lawrence and Norman Whitfield, and performed by Jay-Z. The piano sample also pays homage to Frédéric Chopin's "Funeral March".

Release

"Saint Pablo" first premiered at Yo Gotti's The Art of Hustle release party. On March 31, 2016, the track was leaked online and appeared on Apple Music for several hours. On June 15, 2016, West temporarily removed The Life of Pablo from Tidal because he wanted to put the song into the album. The track has been made widely available on Tidal, Apple Music, Google Play Music and Spotify since this removal.

Critical reception

“Saint Pablo“ met with positive reviews. NME author Richard Owain Roberts praised the track, describing it as West being, "in classically confident mode, despite the fact he opens up the epic track by admitting that he's in debt."

Certifications

References

1. "Kanye West – "Saint Pablo" (Feat. Sampha)". Stereogum. 1 April 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
2. "Kanye West new track, Saint Pablo leaks online". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
3. "Kanye West track Saint Pablo leaks on Apple Music". Standard. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
4. "We Now Know Why 'The Life Of Pablo' Was Removed From TIDAL". News HipHopEarly. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
5. "Kanye West releases new track Saint Pablo - Listen". Pitchfork. 15 June 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
6. "The Life of Pablo - Spotify". Retrieved June 16, 2016.
7. "New Tune 'Saint Pablo' Is Proof Kanye West Is Having A Well Busy 2016". NME. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
8. "British single certifications – Kanye West – Saint Pablo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
9. "American single certifications – Kanye West – Saint Pablo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2020.

• 2016 songs
• Kanye West songs
• Sampha songs
• Song recordings produced by Kanye West
• Song recordings produced by Mike Dean (record producer)
• Songs written by Allen Ritter
• Songs written by Jay-Z
• Songs written by Kanye West
• Songs written by Mike Dean (record producer)
• Songs written by Norman Whitfield
• Songs written by Sampha
• Song recordings produced by Allen Ritter