Violent Crimes

"Violent Crimes" is a deeply personal and introspective track that serves as the closing statement on Kanye West's album ye. The song's primary meaning revolves around the profound and transformative impact of fatherhood, specifically raising a daughter, on a man's perception of women and masculinity. West, or more accurately, the narrator, confronts his own past indiscretions and objectification of women through the lens of a protective father. The lyrics articulate a paradigm shift from viewing women as objects to be 'conquered' to precious beings that must be 'nurtured.' This change is born out of fear—the fear of 'karma,' where his daughter might encounter men with the same predatory mindset he once had.

The song explores the hypocrisy inherent in this transformation. The line, "Niggas is savage, niggas is monsters... 'Til niggas have daughters, now they precautious," encapsulates this central theme. It's a critique of a specific brand of masculinity that only learns empathy and respect for women through personal, familial connection rather than inherent recognition of their humanity. The narrator is aware of his own past and how it makes him a flawed protector, asking, "But how you the devil rebukin' the sin?" This rhetorical question highlights the internal conflict and guilt that fuels the song's emotional weight.

Furthermore, "Violent Crimes" delves into the anxieties of raising a girl in a society filled with dangers, both physical and psychological. Kanye touches upon fears of her body being objectified, the toxic influence of the internet, and the cyclical nature of abuse. The song is a 'lullaby' filled with cautionary advice, expressing a desperate desire to shield his daughter from the harsh realities of a world he helped perpetuate.

The song opens with a dreamy, ethereal chorus sung by 070 Shake, depicting a sense of falling, dreaming, and talking in one's sleep, hinting at a subconscious struggle and the need to cry and defend one's 'violent nights.' This intro sets a vulnerable and introspective tone.

Kanye West's verse then begins with a stark and powerful admission about the nature of men. He states that men can be 'savage,' 'monsters,' 'pimps,' and 'players,' but this perspective drastically shifts the moment they have daughters. Suddenly, they become 'precautious.' This is a confession of his own past behavior and a plea for forgiveness, as he is now terrified of the karmic repercussions of his actions, fearing his daughter might face men like his former self. He expresses a fundamental change in his view of women, now seeing them as something to 'nurture, not something to conquer.' This transformation is central to the song's narrative.

He delves into specific anxieties about his daughter growing up. He hopes she doesn't develop a body that attracts unwanted attention, a controversial line where he wishes her body is 'more like mine and not like your mommy's.' He acknowledges this sounds 'salty' but explains it comes from a place of fear, knowing that 'niggas is nuts' and he himself understands their predatory desires. He's acutely aware of the dangers lurking online, with 'pervs all on the net,' and the potential for his daughter to be manipulated or harmed.

The narrative continues by exploring the potential cycle of rebellion and abuse. He worries that if his daughter starts 'cutting class and hanging with friends,' she won't comprehend the danger she's in. He feels trapped as a parent, realizing that disciplining her harshly ('if you whoop her ass') might just push her away and into the arms of a man who might also abuse her ('then he whoop her ass'), perpetuating a cycle of violence. This creates a poignant dilemma for a protective father.

The song contains a powerful internal conflict, highlighted by the line 'how you the devil rebukin' the sin?' Kanye recognizes the hypocrisy of him, a man who has admittedly been part of the problem, now trying to warn his daughter against those very same behaviors. The track concludes with a voicemail from Nicki Minaj, who offers advice on how to deliver certain lines, but her inclusion also adds another female voice to the narrative, reinforcing the song's focus on the female experience from a male perspective. The outro, again sung by 070 Shake, serves as a lullaby, urging his daughter not to 'grow up in a hurry,' a final, tender plea to preserve her innocence for as long as possible.

"Violent Crimes" was the final track on Kanye West's eighth studio album, ye, released on June 1, 2018. The album was famously completed in a frantic two-week period at West's ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, following controversial public statements made by West. This intense recording period, part of the 'Wyoming Sessions,' saw the creation of five seven-track albums produced by West.

The song's creation involves a significant number of collaborators. The producers are credited as Kanye West, Irv Gotti, and 7 Aurelius. A long list of songwriters includes West, 070 Shake (Danielle Balbuena), Ty Dolla $ign (Tyrone Griffin Jr.), Mike Dean, Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala), Malik Yusef, and crucially, Pardison Fontaine (Jordan Thorpe).

A major point of discussion surrounding the song's history is its authorship. In a tweet, Kanye West revealed that Pardison Fontaine was the primary writer for the song, stating, "Pardison Fontaine wrote the Violent Crimes verses... I changed 2 lines. He wrote the entire song though." This revelation was surprising to many, given the track's deeply personal nature, which led most to assume West had penned it himself. Fontaine, who was brought to the Wyoming sessions after West was impressed by his writing for Cardi B, later expressed some unhappiness about the public reveal. An earlier demo version of the song also exists, featuring a verse from Chance the Rapper that was ultimately not used in the final version.

The song also features uncredited vocals from Ty Dolla $ign and a more prominent role for 070 Shake, who performs the intro and chorus. The track concludes with a voicemail from Nicki Minaj. West had reached out to her for advice on how to deliver certain lines, and he ultimately decided to include her actual voice memo in the song's outro.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Violent Crimes" are crucial to its function as a reflective, narrative-driven track that closes the album on a somber note.

Rhyme Scheme: The song largely employs a free-verse structure within its rap verse, prioritizing storytelling and a conversational flow over a strict, predictable rhyme scheme. However, Kanye uses couplets and internal rhymes to create cohesion and emphasis. For example, the opening lines of his verse use a strong AAAA rhyme scheme: "Niggas is savage, niggas is monsters / Niggas is pimps, niggas is players / 'Til niggas have daughters, now they precautious / Father, forgive me, I'm scared of the karma." This immediately establishes a lyrical pattern. He continues with couplets like, "I pray that you don't get it all at once / Curves under your dress, I know it's pervs all on the net." The rhymes are often perfect but feel natural and unforced, serving the narrative rather than dictating it.

Rhythm and Pacing: The overall tempo is slow and deliberate, fitting the song's description as a 'lullaby.' The rhythm of the vocal delivery is conversational and flows smoothly over the minimalist piano melody. Kanye's rapping is not aggressive or rhythmically complex; instead, it's measured and reflective, allowing the weight of the words to land. This contrasts with the more syncopated and energetic flows on other tracks from the ye album. The chorus, sung by 070 Shake, has a more fluid, legato rhythm that contributes to the dreamy, atmospheric quality of the track. The interplay between the direct, spoken-word-like rhythm of the verses and the melodic, flowing rhythm of the chorus creates the song's dynamic emotional arc, moving from anxious confession to a soothing, albeit worried, plea.

"Violent Crimes" utilizes a blend of musical and literary techniques to achieve its emotional impact.

Musical Techniques:

• Instrumentation and Arrangement: The song is built around a simple, melancholic piano melody, which establishes a gentle, lullaby-like atmosphere. This contrasts with the heavy, often aggressive production on other parts of the ye album. The arrangement is relatively sparse, focusing attention on the vocals and lyrics.
• Vocal Delivery: The track features a significant contrast in vocal styles. 070 Shake provides an ethereal, floating vocal on the intro and chorus, creating a dreamlike quality. Kanye West's rap verse is delivered in a more direct, narrative style, conveying a sense of confession and urgent reflection. Ty Dolla $ign's subtle R&B background vocals add harmonic texture and emotional depth.
• Use of Samples and Found Sound: The most notable use of 'found sound' is the inclusion of a voicemail from Nicki Minaj at the end of the track. This technique breaks the fourth wall, adding a layer of authenticity and documentary-style realism to the song's creation story.
• Harmonic Language: The song is written in the key of B Major and features a chord progression that, while common, is used effectively to create a sense of tender reflection. The underlying harmony supports the track's emotional, R&B-inflected feel.

Literary Techniques:

• Narrative Voice: The song is told from a first-person perspective, presenting a raw, internal monologue. This direct address makes the narrator's anxieties and transformation feel immediate and personal.
• Rhetorical Questions: The line, "But how you the devil rebukin' the sin?" is a powerful rhetorical question that sits at the song's thematic core, highlighting the narrator's self-awareness and hypocrisy.
• Juxtaposition: There is a strong juxtaposition between the 'savage,' 'monster,' and 'player' of the past and the 'precautious' father of the present. This before-and-after framing is the central literary device used to structure the song's narrative of transformation.

"Violent Crimes" served as the poignant closing track to Kanye West's highly anticipated and controversial 2018 album, ye. While the album itself received generally favorable but also mixed reviews, "Violent Crimes" became a significant point of discussion for its lyrical content and emotional weight. Critically, the reception was divided; some critics found the lyrics clumsy or hypocritical, particularly the lines about his daughter's body, while others praised the song's raw honesty and its role as an epic closer. Fan reaction, however, was largely positive, with many praising the gentle production, 070 Shake's haunting vocals, and the song's resonant theme of fatherly love and fear.

Commercially, the song performed well, debuting at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 40 in Canada, Ireland, and Australia. It has since been certified double platinum in the United States by the RIAA. A lyric video for the song was released, featuring the lyrics written over the Wyoming mountain landscape from the album's cover.

The song's cultural impact is also tied to the revelation that it was largely ghostwritten by Pardison Fontaine. This sparked considerable debate online and among music critics about authenticity, authorship, and the nature of collaboration in hip-hop, especially for a track perceived as intensely personal. Despite this, "Violent Crimes" remains a standout track in West's later discography for its vulnerability and its stark, memorable exploration of how fatherhood can radically alter a man's perspective on the world and his own past.

"Violent Crimes" employs several powerful symbols and metaphors to convey its message about fatherhood and fear.

• 'Violent Nights': The recurring phrase 'violent nights' in the intro can be interpreted metaphorically. It likely doesn't refer to literal physical violence but rather the 'less savory elements' of the narrator's past—a life of promiscuity, objectification, and emotional recklessness. It symbolizes a turbulent and morally questionable past that now haunts him as a father.
• Karma as a Daughter: The central premise of the song functions as a personification of karma. The narrator's fear is not just for his daughter's safety but for a cosmic retribution where his past sins revisit him through her potential suffering. He states, "Father, forgive me, I'm scared of the karma / 'Cause now I see women as something to nurture." His daughter becomes the living, breathing embodiment of his potential karmic debt.
• The Devil Rebuking Sin: The line, "But how you the devil rebukin' the sin?" is a potent metaphor for the narrator's hypocrisy. He sees himself as 'the devil'—a participant in the very culture of misogyny he now wants to protect his daughter from. This highlights his internal conflict and the moral complexity of his newfound protective stance.
• Lullaby Structure: The song itself is structured like a 'lullaby,' which is symbolic. Lullabies are meant to soothe and protect a child, to lull them into a peaceful sleep. Here, the gentle, melodic structure contrasts sharply with the 'violent' and anxious themes of the lyrics, creating a poignant irony. It's a lullaby meant to ward off the monsters that the narrator himself once was.

Several recurring phrases and motifs are central to the structure and meaning of "Violent Crimes."

• "Falling, dreamin', talkin' in your sleep / I know you want to cry all night": This refrain, sung by 070 Shake, opens the song and its melody reappears, establishing the song's introspective and troubled emotional landscape. It acts as a musical and lyrical motif representing subconscious guilt and vulnerability.
• "Don't you grow up in a hurry": This phrase, also sung by 070 Shake in the chorus, is a recurring plea that directly encapsulates the father's primary desire: to protect his daughter's innocence from the harsh realities of the world he fears. Its repetition reinforces the song's lullaby-like quality and its core message of paternal protection.
• "Niggas is savage, niggas is monsters / Niggas is pimps, niggas is players / 'Til niggas have daughters": This sequence is arguably the most powerful and memorable lyrical motif in the song. It is stated clearly at the beginning of the verse to establish the central theme of transformation through fatherhood. The sentiment is echoed later, underscoring the hypocrisy and the profound shift in perspective that drives the entire narrative. Its repetition emphasizes how this realization is a constant, recurring thought for the narrator.