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Heil Hitler (song)

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"Heil Hitler"
Single by Ye
from the album Cuck
B-side
  • "Heil Hitler" (Top 5 Version)
  • "Nigga Heil Hitler"
ReleasedMay 8, 2025 (2025-05-08)
Length2:31
LabelYZY
Producer(s)
  • Quadwoofer
  • Sheffmade[1]
Kanye West singles chronology
"Cousins"
(2025) 		"Heil Hitler"
(2025) 		"Alive"
(2025)
Audio sample
First four lines of the chorus to "Heil Hitler", where West makes note of his tweets and people's reception to them

"Heil Hitler", also known by the alternative version title "Nigga Heil Hitler" or the initials "HH",[2][3] is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It was independently released on May 8, 2025, as the third single from his upcoming twelfth studio album, Cuck. Titled after the exclamation said when doing the Nazi salute, the song features additional vocals from West's group the Hooligans.

The track received negative reviews from critics, including outrage and condemnation due to its antisemitism and praise of Adolf Hitler. According to West, due to its controversial nature and subject matter, the track was banned from all major digital streaming platforms.[4][5] An instrumental version was uploaded in its place on May 14, 2025.[6][7] After announcing that he was "done with antisemitism", West released "Hallelujah", an alternate version that replaces references to Nazism with lyrics relating to Christianity, on May 31.

Background

Before its release, "Heil Hitler" was featured on the track listing revealed by media personality DJ Akademiks on April 3, 2025.[8] The song was played multiple times during livestreams by West in the following month, showcasing progress on the development of Cuck. Notably, earlier versions of the song contain a line aimed at fellow rapper Drake: "Niggas be acting like faggots so much, I think they might be Drake."[9] Digital Nas, who worked on the track, said it was the "song of the year".[10]

Release

West released "Heil Hitler" via a music video posted to his X account on May 8, 2025. The video depicts an empty warehouse of black men standing in militaristic formation, draped in animal skins and mimicking lines done by the Hooligans.[11] As of May 2025, the song remains available on X. However, it has been removed from streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and SoundCloud. West has stated that the song was "banned by all digital streaming platforms".[4][5] Spokespeople for Reddit and YouTube told NBC News that the platforms were working to remove uploads of the song and posts promoting it.[12] Social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, both owned by Meta Platforms, retained posts with the song.[13][14]

The music video for the song is restricted and unviewable in Germany. Strafgesetzbuch section 86a bans the dissemination of Nazi symbols, punishable with up to three years in prison or a fine.[13]

The Jerusalem Post noted that May 8, the day of the release, was Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe.[15]

Composition

The 1935 speech by Adolf Hitler that West sampled in "Heil Hitler"

The song features a synth-heavy and orchestral instrumental, including marching band-style drums during its bridge. For the hook, West and his group the Hooligans chant "All my niggas Nazis, nigga, heil Hitler." West's first verse details the current state of his life, including his custody battle and the freezing of his assets, using them as justification for why he "became a Nazi".[5] The song ends with a sample taken from a 1935 Adolf Hitler speech. The speech is in German, and translates to:

"If you consider the work I'm doing to be right, if you think I have been diligent, that I have worked, that I have advocated for you this year, that I have spent my time honestly in the service of my people, then cast your vote! If so, then stand up for me like I have stood up for you!"[16][15]

Rearrangements and remixes

"The Heil Symphony"
A 24-second sample of "The Heil Symphony", rearranging "Heil Hitler" into a solely orchestral song.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

An edited version of the song's instrumental, "The Heil Symphony", replaced the original version on most streaming services. Released to Scrybe earlier in the day, this version removes the vocals and drums – the former being the reason for the song's deletion[4] – and emphasizes the song's orchestral elements further.[6][7] "The Heil Symphony" was also taken down by Spotify, leading West to upload the song again with a black single cover and the updated name "Hit Symphony".[17]

After previously stating he was "done with antisemitism", West would release a new version of "Heil Hitler", replacing the mentions of Hitler with lyrics relating to Christianity. This version, titled "Hallelujah", still contains the majority of the first verse; only the word "Nazi" is censored. Additionally, the Hitler speech is completely removed, with the song's ending itself being cut down.[18]

Reception

The track received negative reviews from critics, including outrage and condemnation due to its embrace of antisemitism and praise of Adolf Hitler.[16][4][15][19][20]

Journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti from The Spectator described the lyrical content of "Heil Hitler" as "a crude litany of racial epithets, Nazi slogans, and sexual bragging", while disagreeing with supporters arguing the song is "an effort to 'confront' taboo or 'reclaim' pain", describing the song as representative of "the collapse of cultural seriousness, the triumph of provocation over principle, and the ascendance of a cult that trades in attention as currency, heedless of the cost to our collective dignity."[21] The song went viral on social media; West's X upload received over 6.5 million views by May 10, while six YouTube uploads collectively received hundreds of thousands of views. NBC News wrote that "[t]he continued spread of the song and the varying approaches to moderation exemplify an increasingly fractured environment online and on social media."[12]

Some publications argued that censorship of the song may increase its popularity, as well as infringe on freedom of speech,[6][22] a sentiment echoed by public figures such as Joe Rogan[23] and Russell Brand.[24]

Far-right political pundit Nick Fuentes, who is closely associated with West, posted on X that the song "has been stuck in my head all week" and imagined "50,000 people in a stadium ... singing every word."[25]

Track listing

  • SoundCloud release (May 8)
  1. "Heil Hitler" – 2:31
  2. "Heil Hitler" (Top 5 Version) – 1:49
  • Scrybe release (May 9)[2]
  1. "Heil Hitler" – 1:49
  2. "Nigga Heil Hitler" – 2:35
  • All platforms (May 14)[7]
  1. "The Heil Symphony" – 1:16
  • All platforms (May 21)[26]
  1. "Hit Symphony" – 1:16
  • All platforms (May 31)[27]
  1. "Hallelujah" – 2:18

Notes

  • All tracks are stylized in all caps.
  • The "Top 5 Version" is a remix based on an earlier version of the song played to Top5 on the streaming platform Parti, which was nicknamed the "Top5 version" by fans prior to the song's release.
  • The Scrybe release misnames multiple mixes of the song.
    • "Heil Hitler" is the Top 5 Version.
    • "Nigga Heil Hitler" is the music video edit.
  • "The Heil Symphony" and "Hit Symphony" are identical.
  • "Hallelujah" replaces the refrain with Christian-themed lyrics and removes the Hitler sample.

References

  1. ^ @kanyewest (May 20, 2025). "SHEFF AND QUAD MADE THE OG HEIL HITLER BEAT" (Tweet). Retrieved May 20, 2025 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b "My Scrybe". www.myscrybe.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (May 11, 2025). "Kanye West's New Album Might Be Banned In Russia Due To Nazi References". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Saponara, Michael (May 8, 2025). "Ye Claims His 'Hitler' Single Is Banned From 'All Digital Streaming Platforms'". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Lapin, Andrew. "Self-described Nazi rapper Kanye West releases new song titled 'Heil Hitler'". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on May 9, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "Hate speech or free speech? How rapper Ye's 'Heil Hitler' exposes Big Tech dilemma". Brussels Signal. May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "THE HEIL SYMPHONY". Spotify. May 14, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  8. ^ Blake, Cole (April 3, 2025). "Kanye West Is Supposedly Dropping A New "WW3" Album Today". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  9. ^ Fisher, Caroline (April 6, 2025). "Kanye West Takes A Shot At Drake In Bizarre New "Heil Hitler" Snippet". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Aydelotte, Bato (April 7, 2025). "Kanye West Targets Drake in Provocative 'WW3' Track". HOT 97. Archived from the original on April 8, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
  11. ^ Moore, Sam (May 8, 2025). "Kanye West Drops Video For 'Heil Hitler'". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 9, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Goggin, Ben (May 10, 2025). "Ye song glorifying Hitler gets millions of views on X while other platforms struggle to remove it". May 12, 2025. NBC News.
  13. ^ a b Hucal, Sarah (May 15, 2025). "Why Kanye West's pro-Hitler song is illegal in Germany". DW. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  14. ^ Gault, Matthew (May 13, 2025). "Kanye's Nazi Song Is All Over Instagram". 404 Media.
  15. ^ a b c "Kanye West releases 'Heil Hitler' song featuring audio clip of Nazi leader's speech". The Jerusalem Post. May 8, 2025. Archived from the original on May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Lapin, Andrew (May 8, 2025). "Ye debuts 'Heil Hitler' music video that includes a sample of a Hitler speech". The Forward. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  17. ^ McGovern Jones, Kellen (May 21, 2025). "Ye's Wordless "Heil Hitler" Track Still Too Loud For Spotify's Ears". Dallas Express. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  18. ^ Paul, Bryson "Boom" (May 31, 2025). "Kanye West Drops Holy Version Of His Controversial "Heil Hilter" Song". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  19. ^ Sadler, Armon (May 8, 2025). "Ye Shares Militant Music Video For "Heil Hitler"". VIBE.com. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  20. ^ Palmer, Jordan; Staff, J. T. A. (May 8, 2025). "Kanye West drops music video titled 'Heil Hitler'". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  21. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (May 9, 2025). "The narcissism of Kanye West". The Spectator. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  22. ^ Garner, Glenn (May 10, 2025). "Kanye West's Pro-Hitler Song Gets Millions Of Streams On X As Other Platforms Ban It". Deadline. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  23. ^ "Rogan claims banning Kanye's 'kinda catchy' Hitler song 'kind of supports' his point". The Independent. May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  24. ^ Gilson, Grace (May 13, 2025). "Russell Brand defends Ye's 'Heil Hitler' music video". The Forward. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  25. ^ Niemietz, Brian (May 6, 2025). "Nick Fuentes thinks Ye's 'Heil Hitler' will be song of the summer". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  26. ^ "HIT SYMPHONY". Spotify. May 21, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  27. ^ Ye - Topic (May 31, 2025). HALLELUJAH. Retrieved June 1, 2025 – via YouTube.
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