Otis Lyrics

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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About

Genius Annotation

The second single from Watch the Throne, “Otis” has Yeezus flipping a portion of a classic Otis Redding track into an entire instrumental. He formed the track after his mentor No I.D. presented him with a producing challenge.

West incorporates a slowed-down refrain from Redding’s infamous “Try a Little Tenderness” at the beginning of the track, then chops and reworks the piano sample before ushering in the heavy bass line and drums. The production received critical praise for its similarity to his Blueprint and College Dropout-era of soul-sampling production.

“Otis” debuted at #47 on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart after a partial week of sales and airplay. It would peak at #12 on the chart; and as of September 2014 it has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA for over two million single sales.

On July 7, 2011, “Otis” was one of the tracks previewed by Jay at a private album listening session at the Mercer Hotel – the location of the track’s recording in June 2011. The track was publicly premiered by Funkmaster Flex on his Hot 97 radio show on July 20, and was released onto the Internet the day afterward to critical and public acclaim.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Does this track have a music video?
Genius Answer

Yes, and it is as dope as the track itself. Check it:

How did this highly memorable beat come about?
Genius Answer

Bu Thiam, Def Jam Vice-President of A&R at the time, was with Hov and Yeezy throughout the album’s recording process and saw how the duo came up with several of the Watch the Throne tracks. Here he recalls the story of the origin of the now-classic “Otis,” recorded in June 2011:

[Kanye] was late for his flight, we were in the studio working all day and so he was late for his flight. As we were leaving he was like, ‘Yo hold on for a second.’ So he drops his bags and goes to the MPC … and he’s just fucking with [the beat]. What’s so crazy is the whole time he’s doing that Jay is writing his verses in his head. But Jay is watching the NBA playoffs, I think it was the championship; Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. So Jay is watching the playoffs. I’m not even thinking Jay is paying attention to what ‘Ye is doing and by the time he is finished Jay is like 'I invented swag…’ And I’m like, 'What the fuck just happened?!'“

How did Hov and Ye manage to get the Otis Redding sample cleared?
Who designed the "Otis" single cover?
How did this song perform on the charts?
Has this track received any certifications?
Credits
Featuring
Produced By
Performance Rights
Recording Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Video Director
Additional Creative Input
Recorded At
The Mercer Hotel New York
Release Date
July 20, 2011
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