Resurrection

## Song by Lupe Fiasco featuring Kenna

"**Resurrection'**" is a song performed by American rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Ethiopian-American singer and philanthropist Kenna. It was composed, produced, and mixed by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, and contains a replayed sample of "Sakura Drop" by Utada Hikaru. It was created in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and released as the sixth track from charity Music for Relief's digital compilation album, *Download to Donate for Haiti*, by Warner Bros. Records. Other featured artists on the record include Linkin Park, Slash, Alanis Morissette, Hoobastank, The All-American Rejects, Enrique Iglesias, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, The Crystal Method, Jack Johnson, Weezer, Dinosaur Jr., Mickey Hart, and Guster. According to the official website, more than 75,000 people downloaded the songs.

## Background

"Resurrection" began as an instrumental demo under the working title, "Universe," created after Fort Minor's *The Rising Tied*. It was released on Linkin Park's album, *Underground XIII*, in November 2013. Shinoda wrote in the album's linear notes, "Another post-Fort Minor demo. The main sounds were piano and mellotron, which gave it a slightly more classic vibe. Vocals never materialized, but the track has a cool, dark, introspective vibe."

Shinoda would go on to send the demo to Fiasco and Kenna for charity towards victims of the Haiti earthquake. Kenna described it "as a triumphant song recognizing that the Haitian people will prevail, while at the exact same time acknowledging that they still need our support." Upon the song's release, Shinoda posted on his blog, "The new Download to Donate track, "RESURRECTION" is now live on MusicForRelief.org! I produced and mixed the song. If you already downloaded the album, just download again, and the song will be included. Don't forget to donate."

On January 28, 2010, Shinoda gave background information on the *Loveline* radio show, where he recalled, "This song was being done at the exact same time that the Linkin Park song was being done. […] We're in the vocal booth at our studio working on our song and I'm talking to Lupe and Kenna like 'okay, well, yes. Send the tracks over tomorrow and I'll mix it.' I mean, it was crazy, and he literally sent over their rough of their song at the exact same time that we finished our song. Like, I finished the mix at like 3:30 and I looked at my computer and the rough from Lupe came in."

In the following month, "Resurrection" was used to promote the HBO series *How to Make It in America* as part of the show's official mixtape.

## Critical reception

Quentin Cuff of *DJBooth* called it a "superb song," praising, "Shinoda sets the stage with some urgent, thought-provoking production, Kenna takes the track to another level with an inspirational chorus and climatic outro, and while Lupe doesn’t get too fancy, he still impresses. His words are simple but his message is gut-wrenching; sometimes it's what you say and not how you say it that makes a song great."

## Personnel

Song
* Kenna Zemedkun – featured artist, vocals, writer
* Michael "Mike" Shinoda – composer, producer, mixer
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead artist, vocals, writer

Video
* Robert Elliott Simmons – director, visual FX, concept
* Kenna – concept
* Shomi Patwary – director, editor, concept
* Justin Partain, Charley Feher, Philip Ly – production assistant

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

*"The international community struggles*

*To get help into Haiti following*

*The worst disaster in United Nations history*

*Amidst the frustration and chaos*

*Surrounding the humanitarian efforts on the ground*

*There have been some miraculous rescues"*

[Verse 1: Kenna]

Like a phoenix, from its ashes

We will rise

Follow angels into heaven

We will rise

Nothing's gonna take you down

We are everlasting now

We are everlasting now, now

[Chorus: Lupe Fiasco, *Kenna*]

Now I've been shaken

But I'm not broken

I won't be breaking

Anytime

I have fallen

But I'm not ruined

I'll keep on moving

Into my resurrection

(*Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh*)

My resurrection

(*Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh*)

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

Urgency, emergency's among us

Life is in the crisis, tragedy's upon us

And we won't leave you stranded

Rapidly we comin'

To take you out the darkness

Show you where the sun is

Cries from the rubble are the voices this is sung with

And those that have stopped singing

We can still hear you under it

Right up out your worrying

Right into the wondrous

Right up off the ground

Right to where the thunder is

And it's where your sisters

And your mothers and your brothers is

Aunties and your friends

And your fathers and your husbands is

Watching with the rest of the world in astonishment

Live from up above, us via news coverage

Seen even more than the misery that happens is

The love, the strength, the history, the passion

The courage of an impoverished people

That the world once abandoned

Shining, infinite everlasting now

[Chorus: Kenna, *Lupe Fiasco*]

Now I've been shaken

*Now I've been shaken*

But I'm not broken

*But I'm not broken*

I won't be breaking

Anytime

I have fallen

*I have fallen*

But I'm not ruined

*But I'm not ruined*

I'll keep on moving

*I'll keep on moving*

Into my

Resurrection

(Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh)

My resurrection

*Into my resurrection*

(Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh)

My resurrection

*Into my resurrection*

My resurrection

(Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh)

My resurrection

(Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh)

*We pray every prayer we know*

(Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh)

[Outro: Kenna]

We will rise up

We will rise up

Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh

We will rise up

We will rise up

Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh

We will rise up

We will rise up

Oh, oh, oh, ohhh, oh

We will rise up

(Resurrection)

## References

1. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (January 19, 2010). "Linkin Park Lead Music for Relief Project to Benefit Haiti". *MTV News*.
2. ↑ "Download to Donate for Haiti"
3. ↑ "Resurrection". *Linkinpedia*.
4. ↑ Cuff, Quentin (January 20, 2010). "Lupe Fiasco ft. Kenna & Mike Shinoda - Resurrection". *DJBooth*.