Uneasy

## Single by Jon Batiste featuring Lil Wayne

"**Uneasy**" is a song by American musician and singer-songwriter Jon Batiste featuring American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released as the fourth single and eleventh track on August 16, 2023, from the former's seventh studio album *World Music Radio* (2023). The two co-wrote it with producers Jon Bellion, Jason "Tenroc" Cornet, and Pete Nappi. Batiste explained that the record reflected the world today, and added that Wayne was one of his most favorite artists in the world.

## Background

On June 28, 2023, Batiste announced on Twitter of his forthcoming album, *World Music Radio*, which would feature several collaborations, including with Lil Wayne. On Apple Music, he commented of the track, "Wayne! That is [area code] 504 representing. You know, the 17th Ward where he hails from, I partially grew up there. He's a little older than me, but we were in that neighborhood three minutes apart from each other, probably around the same time. And together with the '17th Ward Prelude,' which leads into 'Uneasy,' this is definitely the most New Orleans segment of the record." On Bravo's *Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen*, he said about the rapper, "He creates a world around him. When he walks in the room, you're in Wayne's world."

The concept album focuses on the character, "interstellar traveling griot" Billy Bob Bo Bob, who broadcasts his curated music to Earth, taking listeners sonically around the world. He didn't tell any of his collaborators, adding, "None of the[m] knew what I was building, but I knew that if I casted them properly, they would shine."

## Critical reception

Alexis Petridis of *The Guardian* regarded the track as a "highlight" and continued, "a more fractured, electronic take on *We Are*'s neo-soul style, synthesizers weaving around Batiste's falsetto vocal. There's a fabulous moment when Lil Wayne takes over the microphone, and everything else drops out except the beat and Batiste's piano, which slowly shifts from accompanying the rapper to battling him for space, becoming ever-more jagged and jarring."

## Music video

The music video, directed by Phillip Youmans, premiered the same day as the album's release to Batiste's YouTube channel. It was filmed earlier that month on August 2 in Los Angeles, California.

*Broadway World* remarked, "The music video for this melody exquisitely compliments this collaboration between the two musicians—with Lil Wayne's snappy verses and incendiary guitar solo providing the perfect juxtaposition for Batiste's smooth-as-butter vocals and bright piano scoring."

## Personnel

Song
* Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
* Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter Jr. – vocals, writer, guitar
* Fabian Marasciullo – vocal mix
* Jason "Tenroc" Cornet – background vocalist, writer, producer, bass, guitar, keyboards, programmer
* Jon Batiste – vocals, writer, producer, piano
* Jon Bellion – background vocalist, writer, producer, programmer
* Kaleb "KQuick" Rollins – mixer, recording engineer
* Pete Nappi – background vocalist, writer, producer, guitar, programmer, recording engineer

Video
* Phillip Youmans – director, editor
* Sofia Youssef – 1st assistant director
* Jemel McWilliams – creative director
* Jeff Leeds Cohn – cinematographer
* Johnny Hernandez, Joseph Barbalaco, Ryan Lynn – producer
* Manny Caston, Ryan Lewis – executive producer
* Hans Boysen – production coordinator
* Tate McCurdy – gaffer
* Tiger Whitesides – key grip
* Marian Wood – production designer
* Keyhan Bayegan – colorist

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1: Jon Batiste]

(Skoo-skoo, skoo-koo)

They call out, "Mercy, mercy, Marcy me"

Clinton and Canarsie be like (Skoo-skoo, skoo-koo)

They call out

Nostradamus Malcolm Marvin saw what's going on

I know the left and the right talkin' two different stories (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

I know I'm strong in this life but I still tuck my chain

[Chorus: Jon Batiste]

The city feels uneasy

The only way I can describe

Describe, describe it

The city feels uneasy

The only way that I can describe

Describe, describe it

The city feels so uneasy

[Verse 2: Jon Batiste]

(Skoo-skoo, skoo-koo)

They call out, "Times are changing, mama's favorite"

Creepin' through the club at midnight (Skoo-skoo, skoo-koo)

They cry out

Now they're back in the pew

At the crow of the rooster crawling into the light

Left and the right talkin *two different stories (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)*
I know I'm strong in this life but I still tuck my chain

[Chorus: Jon Batiste]

The city feels uneasy

The only way I can describe

Describe, describe it

The city feels uneasy

The only way that I can describe

Describe, describe it

The city feels so uneasy

It's a revelation

The city feels uneasy

The only way that I can describe

Describe describe it

The city feels uneasy

The only way I can describe (Yeah, yeah)

Describe describe it

The city feels so uneasy

[Bridge: Jon Batiste]

Yeah, yeah-yeah

Easy

Easy, yeah

Easy

So uneasy

[Verse 3: Lil Wayne]

Uh

Times is hard, and the city's uneasy

Been a carnivore ever since I was teethin'

Close the shower door on my city, it's steamin'

I know I'm the God that my city believes in

Amen menage

The Devil been deceivin' me

Had me on the hardtop, thinkin' it was easy street

Mama used to scream at me and take me off that scenery

I been about a bag 'cause all I wanted was to be a G

That's that New Orleans in me, I come from where the demons be

The dungeons and the dragons, I just asked them not to breathe on me

Shit get difficult then shit get nasty in the easy E

You don't know what it mean to me

These mean streets, ain't mean to me

Gangster shit

Life is a bitch, until she ain't your bitch

The streets colder than the streets in Anchorage

Swisher on my hip, make me walk like my ankle twist

[Outro: Jon Batiste, *Lil Wayne*]

God damn

They call out

*Weezy baby*

*This city is uneasy baby*

*Yeah*

*Me and Mr. Batiste*

**Lil Weezyana**

*Uh*

**They call out**

**This that fire**

**Lil' Weezy, on the guitar ladies and gentlemen**

## References

1. ↑ Williams, Aaron (August 15, 2023). "Jon Batiste's New Album 'World Music Radio': Everything We Know So Far". *Uproxx*.
2. ↑ "World Music Radio - Uneasy ft. Lil Wayne Premiere - Live Chat". *YouTube*. August 18, 2023.
3. ↑ Denis, Kyle (June 28, 2023). "Jon Batiste Announces New Album Featuring Collabs with Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne & More". *Billboard*.
4. ↑ DeSantis, Rachel (August 16, 2023). "Jon Batiste Wrote Lullabies for Wife Suleika During Her Cancer Hospitalization That Inspired New Song (Exclusive)". *People*.
5. ↑ Sisario, Ben (August 9, 2023). "Jon Batiste Has Got the Whole Wide Music World in His Hands". *The New York Times*.
6. ↑ Kennedy, Mark (August 16, 2023). "Jon Batiste goes galaxy-building with ambitious new album 'World Music Radio'". *Associated Press*.
7. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (August 17, 2023) "Jon Batiste: World Music Radio Review – Safety-First Global Pop from a Jazz Superstar". *The Guardian*.
8. ↑ Major, Michael (August 18, 2023). "Jon Batiste Releases New Album 'World Music Radio'". *Broadway World*.

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