Kanye West – Gotta Have It Lyrics

A lecture on success, money, the desire to get them both, and how you deal with those who try to take them from you

This tune samples three James Brown songs: “Don’t Tell a Lie About Me and I Won’t Tell the Truth About You”, “People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul” and “My Thang”. This use of JB continues the album’s theme of tributes to the Golden Age of hip-hop, as Brown’s music served as the backbone to the style of that period

In addition, the use of Brown’s actual voice reminds us of the similarities between his politics and that of the two rappers. Brown had songs such as “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud” and “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I’ll Get It Myself)” that dealt with themes of black self-empowerment similar to those of this album, and Brown’s trip from extreme poverty and hustling to get by to hugely successful performer and businessman mirrors Hov’s