Big Brother (Kanye West Song) - Composition

Composition

"Big Brother" is a mid-tempo hip-hop song. It is set in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of beats per minute and composed in the key of . The song opens with West's voice uttering the words, "Stadium status...", backed by string arrangements, pounding drums, a distorted guitar riff and soft piano keys. Kanye then begins reciting the chorus of "Big Brother" in a rhythmic, half-sung manner, followed by him rapping its smooth, melodic verses. Approximately half-way through its first verse, the song suddenly adopts synthesizer sounds which replicate the melody of the string section. During West's second delivery of the chorus of "Big Brother", after the end of its first verse, the song incorporates more musical aspects, including handclaps, percussion, and a bassline. Throughout the song, the pacing of West's rapping varies, from swift raps typical of hip-hop music to a slower style reminiscent of spoken word.

The lyrics of "Big Brother" possess an honest, heartfelt examination of the complexities that encompass West's relationship with Jay-Z. The narrative song chronicles Kanye's life at Roc-A-Fella Records and his journey over the years with Jay-Z; from being a bashful fan, to producing his classic The Blueprint, and finally the present day. In the song, West dually discuses both his love and admiration towards Jay-Z as well as his envy and resentment towards him, equating their relationship to that of a sibling rivalry. As the song nears its conclusion, Kanye impels listeners to let the people that they admire know by altering its chorus: "My big brother was Big's brother/So here's a few words from ya kid brother/If you admire somebody you should go head and tell 'em/People never get the flowers while they can still smell 'em". Kanye also uses the chorus of "Big Brother" as a subsidiary dedication to his former mentor No I.D., who first taught him how to produce music.