Dead Presidents (song)
"Dead Presidents" is the first single released in promotion by rapper Jay-Z from his debut album Reasonable Doubt. The title is slang for money because portraits of dead United States presidents appear on most US currency. The song's producer Ski samples Lonnie Liston Smith's "A Garden of Peace" for the track's melody and "Oh My God (Remix)" for its percussion. The single was a commercial success as indicated by its RIAA certification as a gold single in June 1996.
The actual single "Dead Presidents" does not appear on Jay-Z's debut album, but instead "Dead Presidents II" does. "Dead Presidents II" has the same beat and chorus as the original, but different lyrics.
"Dead Presidents I" is often regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever recorded. "Dead Presidents II" was voted #16 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.
Read more about Dead Presidents (song): Feud With Nas, Production, Dead Presidents 3, Remixes
Famous quotes containing the words dead and/or presidents:
“Jesus saw Lazarus.
Lazarus was likely in heaven,
as dead as a pear
and the very same light green color.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“All Presidents start out to run a crusade but after a couple of years they find they are running something less heroic and much more intractable: namely the presidency. The people are well cured by then of election fever, during which they think they are choosing Moses. In the third year, they look on the man as a sinner and a bumbler and begin to poke around for rumours of another Messiah.”
—Alistair Cooke (b. 1908)