Long Live the Chief
Jidenna
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Niggas fighting over rings Niggas wanna be the King, but Long Live the Chief For a li' ol' thang lil' boys bang bang Long Live the Chief Niggas fighting over rings Niggas wanna be the king, but Long Live the Chief Yeah watch pretty mama while I slang my cane Long Live the Chief Uh Cockroaches and the rat shit Hand me downs with the patches Mama put a little money in the mattress Taught me how to make a silver spoon out of plastic You can either sink, swim or be the captain Get the last word I'mma get the last laugh in Now they say "Jidenna why you dressing so classic?" I don’t want my best dressed day in a casket You can either lead, follow or get out the way Make a fuckin' move it would make my fuckin' day Got a 100 year plan you jus' think about today Always been about time more than been about pay Can't rump with me Usain couldn’t run with me Chief come to find you You don’t come for me At best you can run a lil' company Nigga at worst, I could run the whole country That's right, pimp game like a brothel That's why, I don’t judge a nigga's hustle I Airbnb the crib like a hostel Summer rate cheaper 'cause the streets get hostile Shaka boy, this fire from Mojave boy So no I won’t record for your homie boy I turn the party out like a naughty toy Then I go and hide in plain sight like a lobby boy Yessuh, that's Jidenna on the banner Ridin' for my niggas gettin' locked up in the slammer Elders saying everything's a nail to a hammer And niggas can’t spell but we know our Instagrammar Well done's better than well said I read niggas well, a nigga well read Really I ain't met nobody smarter That's why I got admitted but I still rejected Harvard I’m the fresh prince, in a school where they couldn’t read Mama put me in a school with the Kennedys When I met Bill Clinton I was seventeen But dead presidents is all my niggas need Dining with the governor's daughter And her father say I remind him of Obama I’m the chief diplomat, every day And I’m black and white, Janelle Monae They wanna be the King, but Long Live the Chief For a li' ol' thang lil' boys bang bang Long Live the Chief Niggas fighting over rings Niggas wanna be the king, but Long Live the Chief Now watch pretty mama while I slang my cane Long Live the Chief
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Written by: Jidenna Mobisson, Craig Inocencio Balmoris, Kwabena Nana, Julian Kenneth Nixon, Milan Wiley
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Artist Profile"Long Live the Chief" is a song by Jidenna, a Nigerian-American artist famous for his unique blend of hip-hop and African-inspired beats.
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Release InformationThe song was released on December 17, 2015, by Wondaland Records and Epic Records.
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MessageThe song is a social commentary on leadership and puts forward Jidenna's personal view on what it means to be a modern chief.
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Lyric SignificanceThe lyrics of the song pay tribute to Jidenna's father, a Nigerian chief who passed away in 2010. The title of the song itself, "Long Live the Chief," is a nod to his father's position in their native Igbo tribe.
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Music VideoThe music video for "Long Live the Chief" was released a year after the song, in December 2016. It uses minimalistic but impactful visual storytelling, with Jidenna walking along the streets of Los Angeles in a sharp suit and eventually dancing at a public plaza.
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Album Inclusion"Long Live the Chief" is a standalone single and is not included on any of Jidenna's albums. However, it did precede his debut album "The Chief," which was released in 2017.
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Popular Culture InfluenceThe song gained popularity when it was used in an episode of Netflix's "Luke Cage," a superhero series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Creative ProcessIn an interview, Jidenna revealed that he wrote most of the rap verses while in a park in Brooklyn, New York. He wanted to incorporate the essence of classic rap 'cyphers' he had watched growing up.
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Artistic ReceptionCritics lauded "Long Live the Chief" for its sharp lyrics, catchy rhythm and Jidenna's cross-cultural fusion of American and West African musical styles.
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Social ImpactAlthough the song is a personal tribute to his father, Jidenna's lyrics also address broader societal issues like social mobility, racial profiling, and cultural pride, resonating with many listeners across different backgrounds.
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Citation
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"Long Live the Chief Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/33735995/Jidenna/Long+Live+the+Chief>.
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