Nah Nah Nah

"Nah Nah Nah"
"Nah Nah Nah"
Single by Kanye West
Released	October 16, 2020
Genre	Trap
Length	2:58; 3:11 (remix);
Label	GOOD; Def Jam;
Songwriters	Kanye West; Dwayne Abernathy Jr.;
Producers	Kanye West; Dem Jointz;
Kanye West singles chronology
Remix cover
	Remix artwork
DaBaby singles chronology
2 Chainz singles chronology

"Nah Nah Nah" is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It was released for digital download and streaming through GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings on October 16, 2020. The song served as the theme song for West's presidential campaign launched in July of that year. Written and produced by West and American record producer Dem Jointz, the song's lyrics reference West's run for presidential candidate, his dispute with Universal Music Group, and opinions on the mainstream media.

West first teased "Nah Nah Nah" on Twitter two days before its release, via a video featuring clips from Joaquin Buckley's knockout victory at UFC Fight Island 5 and Star Wars. DJ Pharris debuted the song in full on his Power 92 Chicago show on October 16, and it was sent to music streaming services the same day. The song was inspired by fake presidential polling results from Kentucky, which falsely claimed that West was leading fellow candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden in early returns.

"Nah Nah Nah" was met with mixed reviews upon its release, with both critics and West's fans responding negatively to its sound. A remix, featuring fellow rappers DaBaby and 2 Chainz, was released on November 13, 2020. The song was West's second and last single as a lead artist in 2020, following "Wash Us in the Blood", featuring American rapper Travis Scott. Both versions of the song were removed from streaming services in August 2021, which was speculated to be due to controversy over homophobic statements DaBaby made the previous month.

Background and release

On October 14, 2020, Kanye West shared a snippet of a song titled "Nah Nah Nah" to Twitter.^[1] The clip featured footage of Joaquin Buckley's knockout victory at UFC Fight Island 5 and Star Wars.^[2] The song was released after a series of tweets from West celebrating presidential polling results in Kentucky, which later turned out to be fake.^[2]^[3] It was officially released onto streaming services the night of October 16 after being debuted in full on DJ Pharris' Power 92 Chicago show.^[3] The single's cover art was designed by American artist Wes Lang, who had previously worked with West on visuals for his 2013 album Yeezus.^[3] He also created the art for the song's remix.^[4]

On October 18, West tweeted a screenshot of a text conversation with DaBaby,^[5] teasing that he had recorded a verse for a song. The following day, West posted a snippet of DaBaby's verse.^[6]^[7] On October 29, West posted a longer snippet to his Twitter account of DaBaby's full verse along with a verse from 2 Chainz.^[8]^[6]^[9] The remix was later officially released onto streaming services on November 13.^[10]

On August 9, 2021, both versions of the song were removed from all streaming services, which was presumed to be due to controversy over DaBaby's homophobic statements.^[11]^[12] The rapper would later be featured on the track "Jail pt 2" from West's tenth studio album, Donda, released later that same month.^[13]

Composition

Dem Jointz produced "Nah Nah Nah" alongside West, deriving the song's flute sample from a sample pack.

Written and produced by West and Dem Jointz, "Nah Nah Nah" is a trap song, and served as the theme song for West's 2020 presidential campaign.^[14] Its flute sample is derived from a sample library created by BPM Supreme, which Dem Jointz drew inspiration from while producing the track.^[15] The song was inspired by fake polling reports from Kentucky, which claimed that West was leading fellow candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden in early returns.^[14]

West's lyrics are freestyled,^[16]^[17] and reference various events in his life at the time, such as his presidential campaign. The song's chorus advises people to not text him due to being a presidential candidate, and references a scene from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith with the lines "I know you think Obi-Wan gettin' tired now / Don't jump, Anakin, I got the higher ground."^[18] In one of his verses, West references his then-recent dispute with Universal Music Group over the details of his contract, comparing the label's executives to slave masters as he raps that if he "put[s] myself in harm's way to get my own masters / They'll put theyself in harm's way to stay the master".^[16]^[18]^[19]

Reception

"Nah Nah Nah" was met with mixed reception upon release. In a review for HotNewHipHop, Alexander Cole referred to its instrumental as "bizarre", comparing it to a soundtrack from an early 2000s video game.^[20] In a more positive review for Rapzilla, Micah Marshall saw the song as a response to criticism that West had received from Evangelical Christians since his shift into making religious music. Marshall found the song to be representative of criticism that other Christian celebrities have faced in the past, especially those who have either been accused of exploiting Christianity for fame or critiqued for collaborating with secular artists.^[19]

Much of the song's negative reception came from West's fans.^[14] They often criticized the track's sound and overall quality, suggesting West shouldve kept it unreleased.^[21] The song also saw little success commercially, with both the original song and its remix solely charting on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart at number 18 and 34, respectively.

Charts

Original

Chart (2020)	Peak position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)^[22]	18

Remix

Chart (2020)	Peak position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)^[23]	34

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Various	October 16, 2020	Digital download	GOOD Def Jam	^[24]
Various	November 13, 2020	Remix	^[25]

References

^ Strauss, Matthew (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Shares New Song "Nah Nah Nah": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 30, 2021.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b Johnson, Patrick (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Releases New Track "NAH NAH NAH" to Celebrate Fake Presidential Polling Numbers". Hypebeast. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Li, Nicolaus (October 17, 2020). "Kanye West's "Nah Nah Nah" Is Now on Streaming Platforms". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
^ Li, Nicolaus (October 29, 2020). "Kanye Reveals "Nah Nah Nah" Remix Featuring DaBaby and 2Chainz". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ "ye on Twitter: "👀"". Twitter.
^ ^a ^b Enis, Eli (October 29, 2020). "Kanye West Shares "Nah Nah Nah" Remix Featuring DaBaby and 2 Chainz: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
^ "ye on Twitter: "Dababy turned this verse around so quick its inspirational to see how fast we can move as a people. I had to give yall at least a snippet."". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
^ Ruiz, Matthew (October 29, 2020). "Kanye West Shares New "Nah Nah Nah" Remix With DaBaby and 2 Chainz: Listen". Pitchfork.
^ Krol, Charlotte (October 29, 2020). "Kanye West shares 'Nah Nah Nah' remix with DaBaby and 2 Chainz". NME. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
^ Powell, Jon (November 13, 2020). "Kanye West releases DaBaby and 2 Chainz-assisted "Nah Nah Nah (Remix)" in full". Revolt. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
^ Romano, Nick (August 9, 2021). "Kanye West's 'Nah Nah Nah' remix with DaBaby pulled from streaming platforms". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
^ Aswad, Jem (August 9, 2021). "Kanye West Removes DaBaby Remix From Streaming Services". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
^ Lavin, Will (August 29, 2021). "Kanye West's 'Jail, Pt. 2' featuring Marilyn Manson and DaBaby is now available". NME. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c Zidel, Alex (October 16, 2020). "Kanye West's New Song "Na Na Na" Continues To Divide Fans". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ "Kanye West's "Nah Nah Nah" Featuring Samples by BPM Create". BPM Music. November 5, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Renshaw, David (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West raps about his record deal, Star Wars on "Nah Nah Nah" freestyle". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 8, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
^ Tan, Emily (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Drops New Song 'Nah Nah Nah'". SPIN. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Lavin, Will (October 17, 2020). "Kanye West talks presidential bid and label disputes on new song 'Nah Nah Nah'". NME. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Marshall, Micah (December 20, 2020). "Kanye West Says 'Nah Nah Nah' to Criticism: How the Remix Addresses Celebrity Christians". Rapzilla. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ Cole, Alexander (October 17, 2020). "Kanye West Speaks On Being A Presidential Candidate In "Nah Nah Nah"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ Cole, Alexander (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Roasted By Social Media Over "Nah Nah Nah"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 1, 2020. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
^ "Nah Nah Nah - Single by Kanye West on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020.
^ "Nah Nah Nah (Remix) [feat. DaBaby & 2 Chainz] - Single by Kanye West on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020.

[1] Strauss, Matthew (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Shares New Song "Nah Nah Nah": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 30, 2021.^{[permanent dead link]}

[hype1-2] Johnson, Patrick (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Releases New Track "NAH NAH NAH" to Celebrate Fake Presidential Polling Numbers". Hypebeast. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

[hype2-3] Li, Nicolaus (October 17, 2020). "Kanye West's "Nah Nah Nah" Is Now on Streaming Platforms". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

[4] Li, Nicolaus (October 29, 2020). "Kanye Reveals "Nah Nah Nah" Remix Featuring DaBaby and 2Chainz". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[5] "ye on Twitter: "👀"". Twitter.

[cons-6] Enis, Eli (October 29, 2020). "Kanye West Shares "Nah Nah Nah" Remix Featuring DaBaby and 2 Chainz: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

[7] "ye on Twitter: "Dababy turned this verse around so quick its inspirational to see how fast we can move as a people. I had to give yall at least a snippet."". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.

[pfk2-8] Ruiz, Matthew (October 29, 2020). "Kanye West Shares New "Nah Nah Nah" Remix With DaBaby and 2 Chainz: Listen". Pitchfork.

[9] Krol, Charlotte (October 29, 2020). "Kanye West shares 'Nah Nah Nah' remix with DaBaby and 2 Chainz". NME. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

[10] Powell, Jon (November 13, 2020). "Kanye West releases DaBaby and 2 Chainz-assisted "Nah Nah Nah (Remix)" in full". Revolt. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

[11] Romano, Nick (August 9, 2021). "Kanye West's 'Nah Nah Nah' remix with DaBaby pulled from streaming platforms". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 5, 2024.

[12] Aswad, Jem (August 9, 2021). "Kanye West Removes DaBaby Remix From Streaming Services". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2024.

[13] Lavin, Will (August 29, 2021). "Kanye West's 'Jail, Pt. 2' featuring Marilyn Manson and DaBaby is now available". NME. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[:2-14] Zidel, Alex (October 16, 2020). "Kanye West's New Song "Na Na Na" Continues To Divide Fans". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[15] "Kanye West's "Nah Nah Nah" Featuring Samples by BPM Create". BPM Music. November 5, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[:0-16] Renshaw, David (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West raps about his record deal, Star Wars on "Nah Nah Nah" freestyle". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 8, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.

[17] Tan, Emily (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Drops New Song 'Nah Nah Nah'". SPIN. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[:1-18] Lavin, Will (October 17, 2020). "Kanye West talks presidential bid and label disputes on new song 'Nah Nah Nah'". NME. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2025.

[:3-19] Marshall, Micah (December 20, 2020). "Kanye West Says 'Nah Nah Nah' to Criticism: How the Remix Addresses Celebrity Christians". Rapzilla. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[20] Cole, Alexander (October 17, 2020). "Kanye West Speaks On Being A Presidential Candidate In "Nah Nah Nah"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[21] Cole, Alexander (October 14, 2020). "Kanye West Roasted By Social Media Over "Nah Nah Nah"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 30, 2025.

[22] "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 1, 2020. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.

[23] "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.

[24] "Nah Nah Nah - Single by Kanye West on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020.

[25] "Nah Nah Nah (Remix) [feat. DaBaby & 2 Chainz] - Single by Kanye West on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020.

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v t e Kanye West songs
Singles discography Songs
2000s singles	"Through the Wire" "Slow Jamz" "All Falls Down" "Jesus Walks" "The New Workout Plan" "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" "Gold Digger" "Heard 'Em Say" "Touch the Sky" "Drive Slow" "Can't Tell Me Nothing" "Stronger" "Good Life" "Flashing Lights" "Homecoming" "Love Lockdown" "Heartless" "Amazing" "Paranoid"
2010s singles	"Power" "Runaway" "Monster" "All of the Lights" "H•A•M" "Otis" "Lift Off" "Niggas in Paris" "Why I Love You" "Gotta Have It" "No Church in the Wild" "Mercy" "Cold" "New God Flow" "Clique" "Black Skinhead" "Bound 2" "Only One" "FourFiveSeconds" "All Day" "Famous" "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" "Pt. 2" "Fade" "Lift Yourself" "Ye vs. the People" "Yikes" "All Mine" "XTCY" "I Love It" "Follow God" "Closed on Sunday"
2020s singles	"Wash Us in the Blood" "Nah Nah Nah" "Hurricane" "Life of the Party" "Believe What I Say" "Off the Grid" "Eazy" "City of Gods" "True Love" "Vultures" "Talking / Once Again" "Carnival" "No Face" "Slide" "WW3" "Cousins" "Heil Hitler" "Alive" "Father"
Other singles	"Impossible" "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)" "Forever" "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" "Christian Dior Denim Flow" "Christmas in Harlem" "Champions"
Featured singles	"Selfish" "Talk About Our Love" "This Way" "The Food" "I Changed My Mind" "Down and Out" "The Corner" "Go!" "Number One" "Extravaganza" "Brand New" "Grammy Family" "Number One" "Wouldn't Get Far" "I Still Love H.E.R." "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" (remix) "Pro Nails" "Finer Things" "American Boy" "Put On" "Stay Up! (Viagra)" "Swagga Like Us" "Go Hard" "Knock You Down" "Kinda Like a Big Deal" "Walkin' on the Moon" "Supernova" "Make Her Say" "Run This Town" "Whatever U Want" "Live Fast, Die Young" "Erase Me" "Deuces" (remix) "Start It Up" "Hurricane 2.0" "E.T." "Marvin & Chardonnay" "Pride N Joy" "I Wish You Would" "Birthday Song" "Thank You" "I Won" "Nobody" "Blessings" "U Mad" "One Man Can Change the World" "Pop Style" "Figure It Out" "That Part" "Friends" "Ballin" "Tiimmy Turner" (remix) "Castro" "Feel Me" "Love Yourself" "Glow" "Watch" "Cops Shot the Kid" "Take Me to the Light" "Ego Death" "Keep It Burnin" "Hot Shit" "No Apologies"
Promotional singles	"See Me Now" "Power" (remix) "Devil in a New Dress" "So Appalled" "The Joy" "Flicker" (Kanye West rework) "Facts" "Real Friends" "No More Parties in LA" "30 Hours" "Tina" "Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine" "Beauty and the Beast"
2000s songs	"I'll Fly Away" "Spaceship" "Never Let Me Down" "Two Words" "Family Business" "Jesus Walks" (remix) "It's Alright" "The New Workout Plan" (remix) "Two Words" (cinematic) "Never Let Me Down" (cinematic) "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (remix) "Hey Mama" "Gone" "Drive Slow" (remix) "Good Morning" "Champion" "I Wonder" "Everything I Am" "Big Brother" "Say You Will" "Welcome to Heartbreak" "RoboCop" "Street Lights" "See You in My Nightmares" "Coldest Winter"
2010s songs	"Dark Fantasy" "Gorgeous" "Hell of a Life" "Blame Game" "Lost in the World" "Welcome to the Jungle" "Who Gon Stop Me" "Murder to Excellence" "Made in America" "To the World" "Don't Like.1" "On Sight" "I Am a God" "New Slaves" "Hold My Liquor" "I'm in It" "Blood on the Leaves" "Guilt Trip" "Send It Up" "Say You Will" (remix) "When I See It" "Ultralight Beam" "Feedback" "Low Lights" "Highlights" "Freestyle 4" "I Love Kanye" "Waves" "FML" "Wolves" "Frank's Track" "Facts" (Charlie Heat version) "Saint Pablo" "I Thought About Killing You" "Wouldn't Leave" "No Mistakes" "Ghost Town" "Violent Crimes" "Feel the Love" "Fire" "4th Dimension" "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" "Reborn" "Kids See Ghosts" "Cudi Montage" "Selah" "On God" "Everything We Need" "Water" "God Is" "Hands On" "Use This Gospel" "Jesus Is Lord"
2020s songs	"Donda Chant" "Jail" "Praise God" "Jonah" "Ok Ok" "Junya" "24" "Remote Control" "Moon" "New Again" "Tell the Vision" "Lord I Need You" "Pure Souls" "Come to Life" "No Child Left Behind" "Jail pt 2" "Ok Ok pt 2" "Junya pt 2" "Up from the Ashes" "Remote Control pt 2" "Security" "Use This Gospel" (remix) "Vultures" (Havoc version) "Stars" "Back to Me" "Hoodrat" "Paperwork" "Fuk Sumn" "Beg Forgiveness" "Good (Don't Die)" "Fried" "Promotion" "River" "Can U Be"
Featured songs	"The Bounce" "Champions" "Get By" (remix) "Excuse Me Miss" (remix) "Back Like That" (remix) "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (remix) "Us Placers" "Beat Goes On" "Billie Jean 2008" "Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)" (remix) "Therapy" "Ego" (remix) "Blazin'" "Welcome to the World" "Sanctified" "Drunk in Love" (remix) "All Your Fault" "Smuckers" "Jukebox Joints" "All We Got" "Pussy Print" "Mama" "One Minute" "Mixed Personalities" "Go2DaMoon" "Like That" (remix)
Unreleased songs	"Brothers" "Everybody" "God Level" "I Feel Like That" "LA Monster" "New Body"
Category

v t e DaBaby
Discography
Studio albums	Baby on Baby (2019) Kirk (2019) Blame It on Baby (2020) Baby on Baby 2 (2022) Be More Grateful (2026)
Mixtapes	Better than You (with YoungBoy Never Broke Again) (2022)
Extended plays	My Brother's Keeper (Long Live G) (2020) Back on My Baby Jesus Sh!t Again (2021)
Singles	"Suge" "Baby" "Baby Sitter" "Panini (DaBaby Remix)" "Intro" "Bop" "Shut Up" "Oprah's Bank Account" "Vibez" "Find My Way" "Rockstar" "Blind" "Masterpiece" "Throat Baby (Go Baby) [Remix]" "Ball If I Want To" "Red Light Green Light" "Lonely" "Neighborhood Superstar" "Bestie" "Shake Sumn" "Pop Dat Thang"
Featured singles	"Cash Shit" "Truth Hurts (DaBaby Remix)" "Enemies" "Hot Shower" "Death" "My Oh My" "Life is Good (Remix)" "Levi High" "Don't Rush (Remix)" "Whats Poppin (Remix)" "Tap In (Remix)" "Said Sum (Remix)" "Levitating" "For the Night" "Nah Nah Nah (Remix)" "Coco" "Cry Baby" "Beat Box 3" "Girl from Rio" "I Did It" "Skat" "06 Gucci" "Point Em Out"
Other songs	"Goin Baby" "Stop Snitchin (Remix)" "Under the Sun" "Toes" "Jump" "Jail, Pt. 2"

v t e 2 Chainz songs
Discography
Based on a T.R.U. Story	"No Lie" "Birthday Song" "I'm Different" "Riot"
B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time	"Feds Watching" "Where U Been?" "I Do It" "Used 2" "Netflix" "We Own It (Fast & Furious)"
ColleGrove	"Watch Out"
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music	"Big Amount" "Good Drank" "It's a Vibe" "4 AM"
Rap or Go to the League	"Rule the World"
Welcome 2 Collegrove	"Presha" "Long Story Short" "Transparency"
Other singles	"Mercy" "Champions" "Gang Up" "Proud" "Bigger Than You" "Baddest"
Featured singles	"Beez in the Trap" "Breakfast (Syrup)" "Sweat" "My Moment" "Do My Dance" "Bandz a Make Her Dance" "Fuckin' Problems" "Leggo" "R.I.P." "Rich As Fuck" "Headband" "Bubble Butt (Remix)" "When I Feel Like It" "My Story" "Talk Dirty" "Give It 2 U (Remix)" "Trampoline" "All Me" "Cut Her Off" "Only That Real" "24 Hours" "Burnin' Up" "Mama Ain't Proud" "Hood Go Crazy" "Double Tap" "3500" "No Problem" "Castro" "Accelerate" "Big Bank" "Nah Nah Nah (Remix)"
Other songs	"Ali Bomaye" "What They Want" "Chloraseptic"
Category