Image via Complex Original
By the time you read this in America, Jay-Z and Kanye West will be taking the stage in France for another date on the European leg of their Watch The Throne tour. That means, in true meta fashion, the superstar rap duo will, for the first time, perform "Niggas In Paris"... in Paris.
It's a benchmark for the genre's long-standing obsession with the pristine French city. Ricky Powell took a now-iconic photo of Run-D.M.C. in front of the Eiffel Tower when they visited over two decades ago. More recently, A$AP Rocky shot a video there and MCs like Tyga and Young Jeezy put together extensive vlogs documenting their Parisian excursions.
Like most examples of exhibitionism in hip-hop, the desire to show off one's experience in Paris comes from a place of aspiration. International travel is a sign that you've made it, and few places are more globally recognizable than Paris. Plus, you can buy a lot of Louis Vuitton there. Continue reading for a complete look at rap's 25-year relationship with the City of Light.
Written by Ernest Baker (@newbornrodeo)
Run-D.M.C. takes Paris
Date: 1987
Ricky Powell photographed the hip-hop legends in front of the Eiffel Tower during the Together Forever tour.
Q-Tip on A Tribe Called Quest's "Luck Of Lucien"
Date: 4/17/1990
"From the Zulu nation, from a town called Paris," says Tip, afters lines about going "back to France on a ship with a sail."
Raekwon on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx classic "Ice Cream"
Date: 8/1/1995
In addition to Method Man speaking French on the Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... classic "Ice Cream," The Chef showed the country love with bars of his own: "Peace to the Paris crew in the avenue."
Nas on "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)"
Date: 5/28/1996
On his Lauryn Hill-assisted single, Nas envisions: "Trips to Paris, I civilized every savage/Gimme one shot I turn trife life to lavish."
Kool G. Rap on "Da Heat"
Date: 10/20/1998
On this Roots Of Evil track, G-Rap says it's where he gets his jewelry from: "Five o' one quarter carats from outta Paris."
Ghostface Killah on "Ghost Deini"
Date: 2/8/2000
On this Supreme Clientele cut, Ghost raps about flipping into French mode: "I'm like cake or maybe like $10,000 rabbits/The kid walked thru, switch up his accent, 'Now I'm from Paris.'"
Outkast performs "Gasoline Dreams"
Date: 12/1/2000
Live from the New Morning venue in Paris.
Tha Liks member J-Ro on "Sickness"
Date: 7/3/2001
"From Lake Buteras to Paris, generic rappers get embarassed/We inherit b-boy Sermons just like Erick's."
Clipse's Pusha T on "Cot Damn"
Date: 8/20/2002
"I been around the world thrice times, I mean what I say/From that Panama sun, to France's Champs-Élysées."
Cam'ron on "I'm Ready"
Date: 3/25/2003
Cam stunts on this Diplomats track: "Fuck the Twin Towers dog, we on top of the Eiffel."
Kanye West has a flight to catch on "Punk'd"
Date: 2004
While being held up by Ashton's merry pranksters, Yeezy insists, "I gotta go to Parié."
Nas on "Bridging the Gap"
Date: 11/30/2004
"I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique/Madagascar, Paris, Greece."
Ghostface Killah on "Back Like That"
Date: 3/28/2006
While screaming on a cheating girlfriend, Ghost tells her: "Let me get those bags from Paris."
Ghostface Killah on "Clipse of Doom"
Date: 3/28/2006
"Milk cash, heavy Tecs, hood rats, sexin 'em/Paris crew, little dudes, please, I was reppin 'em."
Mariah Carey and Pharrell shoot the "Say Something" video in Paris
Date: 4/3/2006
Featured artist Snoop Dogg couldn't make it, though.
Lil Wayne on "Getting Some Head"
Date: May 2006
On this Dedication 2 cut, Wayne spits "Straight gut a bitch open like a hook in a fish/I got a lady from Paris who French kiss my shit." Later that year, Weezy rapped in French on his Lil Weezyana Vol. 1 mixtape.
Andre 3000 on Lloyd's "You" remix
Date: 3/13/2007
What city is more romantic? "So I'm standing there embarrassed, if we were both in Paris/I would have grabbed her by the waist and kissed her."
Chamillionaire on "Money Already Made"
Date: 7/18/2007
On this Mixtape Messiah 3 track Cham raps: "The groupie saw me in Parié and said, 'It isn't you'/I tried to tell 'em it was and they said, 'It isn't true.'"
Common on "Southside"
Date: 7/31/2007
On this Kanye West–assisted song, Com raps: "The un-American idol, tower like the Eiffel/Lean wit' it, rock wit' it, Black like the Disciples."
Lupe Fiasco on "Paris, Tokyo"
Date: 12/18/2007
On this cut from The Cool Lupe says: "Let's go to sleep in Paris and wake up in Tokyo."
Chino XL on Akwid's "Ombligo A Ombligo (Bad Girl)" remix
Date: 2008
"Your wife's glamourous/Beggin' me to put a little somethin' Puerto Rican all inside a baby carriage/But I'm in Vegas, into Paris/Gettin' my hair braided by Jenny Rivera's fingers."
Lupe Fiasco and Gemini on "We On"
Date: 2008
Lupe and Gemini trade Parisian bars: "Five-star hotels all week/Non-stops to Paris ain't cheap/Sick lake views, big penthouse suites/Champs-Elysees is magnifique."
Wiz Khalifa on "Teach You To Fly"
Date: 4/18/2009
On this Flight School cut Wiz says, "I'll take you anywhere you wanna go/Private beaches in the sand, Paris, France, Tokyo."
Rick Ross on "Lay Back"
Date: 4/21/2009
On Deeper Than Rap Ross raps: "Run a few errands, summers in Paris/Never shopping in clearance, don't make me embarrassed."
Zion I on "Critical"
Date: 6/27/2009
On this Mind Over Matter track, Zion I raps: "I show the whole damn world my gift/For Paris I'm speakin' upon."
Curren$y on "Sail On"
Date: 7/19/2009
On this mixtape cut, Curren$y spits: "Parking near the boat launch in Paris/Spending French bread."
Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa on How Fly track, "All Over"
Date: 8/9/2009
On this How Fly track, they rap: "Getting money all over the world/Toronto and Amsterdam, Brazil, Paris, France and Japan."
Drake on "My Darling Baby"
Date: 9/10/2009
On Lil Wayne's The Leak, Drizzy raps: "I had to take her ass to Paris, give her the moments that she cherish."
Royce 5' 9" on Slaughterhouse's "2.0 Boys."
Date: 2010
On Slaughterhouse's Eminem-assisted "2.0 Boys," Royce name-drops the city's most famous landmark: "By the way, I'm higher than the Eiffel tower tip."
Beastie Boys take Paris
Date: May 2010
Of course the legendary trio made a stop in the city.
Diddy releases his "Last Train To Paris" album
Date: 12/14/2010
One of the most overt nods to Paris in hip-hop history.
Pharrell on "The Game Has Changed"
Date: 4/1/2011
On this Tron-sampling track, Pharrell says: "I know, I disappeared and popped up in Paris making chairs with a beard."
Tyler, The Creator on "Goblin"
Date: 5/10/2011
On his sophomore album opener, Tyler raps: "From Philly to Paris, I'm getting these weird stares."
Canibus on "Lyrical Noir"
Date: 6/24/2011
On this Lyrical Law cut, Canibus raps: "They spacecraft look like the Eiffel tower in Paris/They pray for my downfall and orchestrated hip-hop's imbalance."
Kreayshawn visits popular Paris boutique, Colette
Date: 7/7/2011
The store is a must for any fashion head in the city.
U-God on "225 Rounds"
Date: 7/26/2011
On this Wu-Tang Clan track, the God spits: "I live life lavish and my chain is karats/The last name on the train to Paris."
Jay-Z and Kanye West release "N***as In Paris"
Date: 8/8/2011
"If you escaped what I've escaped, you'd be in Paris getting fucked up too" is just one of many memorable Paris-inspired lines from their hit song.
14. Crooked I on Yelawolf's "Hard White" remix
Date: 8/8/2011
The Cali rapper says: "I aint feelin' embarrassed/The feelin' in the air is the 2.0′s party, like niggas and wiggas in Paris."
Mac Miller performs at La Cigale
Date: 8/9/2011
And he's back in town right now, posting Instagram pictures of the Eiffel Tower and all.
Kanye West debuts his first fashion collection in Paris
Date: 10/1/2011
A historic moment for hip-hop.
Stalley sells out La Bellevilloise
Date: 12/10/2011
He might get more love over there than in the States.
Pitbull spoofs The Throne with "Latinos in Paris"
Date: 12/31/2011
Complete with lines like, "Catch a chico in Paris, getting money like Arabs."
Shyne and Diddy reunite in Paris
Date: 3/4/2012
They were both in town for Fashion Week.
Kid Cudi shows off some new gear in Paris
Date: 3/28/2012
What's that jacket? Margiela.
Big Sean on "Mercy"
Date: 4/6/2012
On the G.O.O.D. Music posse cut, Sean drops the classic line: "Now we out in Parié, yeah I'm Perrierin'/White girls politicin', that's that Sarah Palin."
Kanye West on "Cold"
Date: 4/17/2012
On the song formerly known as "Theraflu," Ye flosses his fashion accomplishments: "We flyer than a parakeet, floatin' with no parachute/Six thousand dollar pair of shoes, we made it to the Paris news!"
Waka Flocka hits Paris for a SPIN cover story
Date: 5/1/2012
He goes on to tweet, "I've been inspired lately by the French lately."
A$AP Rocky shoots his "Goldie" video in Paris
Date: 5/3/2012
Him and A$AP Yams stunt all over the city.
Big Sean on "Life Should Go On"
Date: 5/7/2012
On this the Wale-assisted cut, Sean raps: "Man going around around the world so many times I'm dizzy/London or Japan, Orlando, Walt Disney/Paris, Abu-Dhabi, California weed twistin' yup!"
Young Jeezy releases his "European Takeover" vlog
Date: 5/10/2012
The subtitle is "A Real Nigga in Paris," naturally.
Tyga releases a vlog detailing his Careless World tour stop in Paris
Date: 5/23/2012
He does a bunch of flashy rapper stuff while in town. Who will be next?
