Kanye West Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"Real Friends" is the twelfth track from Kanye West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016).[1] The song features backing vocals from Ty Dolla $ign.[2] It was first released as a single on January 8, 2016, as part of Kanye's GOOD Fridays series.[3]

In the song, Kanye talks about the distrust he feels towards his friends and even his family members.[4] In the third verse, he mentions that he had a cousin who stole his laptop which had a video of Kanye having sex with someone. He also says that he had to pay $250,000 just to get it back from him. In December 2016, Kanye's cousin, Franklin Lawrence, revealed that the story was true.[5] Kanye would later reference this event in "No More Parties in LA" and "Pure Souls".

Production[]

The song's instrumental heavily samples Frank Dukes (A.K.A. Ging)'s 2015 song, "Couches".[6] Kanye's opening lines are also an interpolation of Whodini's 1984 song, "Friends".[7]

Background[]

Like many songs in The Life of Pablo, this song originated from the SWISH era. On January 24, 2016, Kanye tweeted a picture of the tentative track list for SWISH, listing "Real Friends" as the ninth track.[8] A day later, Big Boy posted a newer track list for SWISH, now placing "Real Friends" as the tenth track.[9] Even after renaming the album Waves, "Real Friends" stayed as the tenth track until Kanye posted a new track list for the newly-renamed The Life of Pablo on February 12, which placed the song as the eleventh track on the album.[10] When the album released, it was moved to the twelfth track.

Only an hour after the song released on Soundcloud, it was deleted because "there was a slight distortion in the main loop". It was released back on Soundcloud hours later.[11]

Remix[]

12816828 663917763746785 845730909 n

The cover for the remix.

On March 4, 2016, a remix for the song was announced by Swizz Beatz on Instagram.[12] The remix featured a verse from DMX. While the remix never officially released, it was leaked in 2017.[13]

Lyrics[]

Real friends, how many of us?

How many of us, how many jealous? Real friends

It's not many of us, we smile at each other

But how many honest? Trust issues

Switched up the number, I can't be bothered

I cannot blame you for havin' an angle

I ain't got no issues, I'm just doin' my thing

Hope you're doin' your thing too

I'm a deadbeat cousin, I hate family reunions

Fuck the church up, by drinkin' at the communion

Spillin' free wine, now my tux is ruined

In town for a day, what the fuck we doin'?

Who your real friends? We all came from the bottom

I'm always blamin' you, but what's sad, you're not the problem

Damn I forgot to call her, shit I thought it was Thursday

Why you wait a week to call my phone in the first place?

When was the last time I remembered a birthday?

When was the last time I wasn't in a hurry? Uh

Tell me you want them tickets when it's gametime

Even to call your daughter on her FaceTime

Even when we was young I used to make time

Now we be way too busy just to make time

Even for my

Real friends

I guess I get what I deserve, don't I?

Word on the streets is they ain't heard from him, uh

I guess I get what I deserve, don't I?

Talked down on my name, throwed dirt on him

I couldn't tell you how old your daughter was (was)

Couldn't tell you how old your son is (is)

I got my own junior on the way, dawg (dawg)

Plus I already got one kid (kid)

Couldn't tell you much about the fam though

I just showed up for the yams though

Maybe fifteen minutes, took some pictures with your sister

Merry Christmas, then I'm finished, then it's back to business

You wanna ask some questions 'bout some real shit? (Shit)

Like I ain't got enough pressure to deal with (with)

Please don't pressure me with that bill shit (shit)

'Cause everybody got 'em, that ain't children

Oh you've been nothin' but a friend to me

n***as thinkin' I'm crazy, you defendin' me

It's funny I ain't spoke to n***as in centuries

To be honest, dawg I ain't feelin' your energy

Money turn your kin into an enemy

n***as ain't real as they pretend to be

Lookin' for real friends (real friends)

How many of us? How many of us are real friends

To real friends, to the real end

'Til the wheels fall off, 'til the wheels (yeah) don't spin

(Yeah, yeah) To three A.M., callin'

How many real friends?

Just to ask you a question

Just to see how you was feelin'

How many?

For the last you was frontin'

I hate when a n***a text you like, "What's up, fam? Hope you good"

You say, "I'm good, I'm great", the next text they ask you for somethin'

How many?

What's best for your family, immediate or extended

Any argument, the media'll extend it

I had a cousin that stole my laptop that I was fuckin' bitches on

Paid that n***a two hundred-fifty thousand just to get it from him

Real friends

Huh?

Real friends

I guess I get what I deserve, don't I?

Word on the streets is they ain't heard from him, uh

I guess I get what I deserve, don't I?

Talked down on my name, throwed dirt on him

Credits[]

Adapted from Spotify[14]:

References[]

Advertisement