Part of the soundtrack to a biopic directed by Shaka King and starring Daniel Kaluuya, 'What It Feels Like' is scheduled to be released in full on February 12.
- Feb 10, 2021
AceShowbiz - Hours after it was announced, Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle's highly-anticipated collaboration has been previewed in a trailer for "Judas and the Black Messiah". Titled "What It Feels Like", it plays over the scenes of the biographical pic starring Daniel Kaluuya.
"And this is what it feels like," the late Nipsey spits his repeated lines in the chorus. He continues, "Look, the only reason I survive 'cause a n***a is special, first/ You get successful, then it get stressful, thirst/ N***as gon' test you, see what your texture's worth/ Diamonds and pipes, wonder when pressure burst."
Jay-Z raps in the next verse, "I arrived on the day Fred Hampton got mur-hold up/ Assassinated just to clarify further. Black stones on my neck, y'all can't kill Christ/ Black Messiah is what I feel like/ S**t ain't gon' stop till y'all spill blood/ We gon' turn up even more since y'all killed cuz'."
"What It Feels Like" is included on the soundtrack to "Judas and the Black Messiah", which is set to arrive on Friday, February 12. The star-studded tracklist features Nas, Rakim, A$AP Rocky, Lil Durk, Black Thought, Polo G, G Herbo (Lil Herb) and Hit-Boy, who executive produced the album.
"What It Feels Like" marks Jay and Nipsey's first collaboration, though they had built friendship years before the latter's passing, when the "4:44" rapper co-signed the "Racks in the Middle" spitter's #Proud2Pay movement.
Jay was last featured in a song as a performer in 2018's "Apes**t", his latest collaboration with his wife Beyonce Knowles, as well as in DJ Khaled's "Top Off", which was also released in the same year. He has recorded for Pharrell Williams' song "Entrepreneur", but the song is yet to be unleashed.
As for Nipsey, his song "Racks in the Middle" featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy was released posthumously in 2019 and received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 62nd Grammy Awards. He also won Best Rap/Sung Performance for another song, "Higher", at the same event.
