Us Placers

"Us Placers" is the debut song by American hip hop group Child Rebel Soldier, released as the third track from Kanye West's 2007 mixtape Can't Tell Me Nothing. The song was produced by Lupe Fiasco and samples the 2006 song "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke. Fiasco performed "Us Placers" live on August 5, 2007 during his set at Lollapalooza.Harris, Chris and Kaufman, Gil (August 6, 2007). "Pearl Jam Electrify; Amy Winehouse, Lupe Fiasco, Kings of Leon Also Help Cap Lollapalooza". MTV. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007.
== Background ==
Fiasco told MTV News that Pharrell Williams came up with the idea of a group, so he created a song. He sampled Thom Yorke's "Eraser" and "cut it up, put 'Us Placers' on it," for his own mixtape that would remake Yorke's album Eraser and Radiohead music. Originally the track was going to feature Kayne and The Streets, though he got no response from the latter. He continued, "Then Kanye jumped on it and was like, 'I'm going to send it to P.' Then P sent it back, and it was like, 'This is the first song right here. Let's do it.'"Reid, Shaheem (April 14, 2008). "Lupe Fiasco Wants to Quit Music Biz, But Promises More Collabos with Kanye, Pharrell; Fabolous Makes the Band: Mixtape Monday". MTV. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008.
== Music video ==
Though no official music video was created, American music video director and designer Vashtie "Va$htie" Kola created one that was uploaded to YouTube on December 19, 2007. It featured child versions of the trio, where she stated, "this video was shot for the love of the song on zero budget! ie: all the clothes and props were mine or a friends." As of March 2023, it garnered 2.8 million views."va$htie - "Us Placers" by Lupe, Kanye & Pharrell (CRS)". YouTube. December 19, 2007.Vozick-Levinson, Simon (December 20, 2007). "Meet 10-Year-Old Kanye, Lupe, and Pharrell". Entertainment Weekly.
== Critical reception ==
Chicago Tribune wrote, "Fiasco flexes his relaxed, yet rapid-fire flow to set the scene: a picture of opulence that appears like a mirage, then dissipates. [...] West brings his South Side twang to bear on a verse about artists who nearly make the big time, then fade into obscurity. Williams finishes the track with a surreal series of images that reference the recent Virginia Tech massacre."Kot, Greg (June 1, 2007). "Kanye, Lupe, Pharrell Collaborate on Thom Yorke Track". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. DJBooth stated, "Although the concept is interesting, the delivery falls a bit flat with its repetitive piano track. Still, this trio is made up of such strong performers, that we are likely to see a lot of noteworthy tracks from CRS in the near future.""CRS - Us Placers". DJBooth. June 11, 2007.
== Lyrics ==
== References ==
Category:2007 songs
Category:Child Rebel Soldier songs
Category:Explicit songs
Category:Songs