Crew (song)

"Crew" is a song by American hip hop recording artist GoldLink. It was released on December 16, 2016, as the lead single from his debut studio album, At What Cost (2017).[1] The song, produced by Teddy Walton, features vocals from American singer Brent Faiyaz and American rapper Shy Glizzy.[2] The song received a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.[3] It contains additional background vocals from Zacari.

"Crew"
Single by GoldLink featuring Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy
from the album At What Cost
ReleasedDecember 16, 2016 (2016-12-16)
Recorded2016
GenreHip hop
Length2:57
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Walton
GoldLink singles chronology
"See I Miss Pt. 2"
(2016)		 "Crew"
(2016)		 "Rough Soul"
(2017)
Brent Faiyaz singles chronology
"Poison"
(2016)		 "Crew"
(2016)		 "Too Fast"
(2016)
Shy Glizzy singles chronology
"Passion"
(2016)		 "Crew"
(2016)		 "Benefits"
(2017)
Music video
"Crew" on YouTube

Background and release

While talking about how the song came together in an interview with Genius, GoldLink said;

"It was the most natural song I ever did, because I met Brent, and I was with Brent in LA when we did it together. That was the first time I actually met Brent. We were just vibing, and it kind of worked the way it was. He freestyled his, and I freestyled mine. But I guess the only thing I had in my head, “Where I’m from.” The subject matter came from thinking about all the people that helped me get to where I was. To get to the position I was to even be able to get to LA and be in the studio at Pulse, to be with Brent."[4]

The official remix of "Crew" features American rapper Gucci Mane and was released on June 21, 2017.[5] A digital extended play (EP)—which included remixes by Lido, Richie Souf, Backyard Band and New Impressionz—was released on August 18, 2017.[6]

Critical reception

The song received acclaim from critics. According to Ross Scarano of Billboard "there wasn't a catchier sung rap hook in 2017", also writing that "Shy Glizzy may have the show-stealing verse, but there's no denying that this raised GoldLink's clout in a major way".[7] Calling it an "excellent rap song", Okayplayer wrote; "The hook is money, the rhymes are top notch and never fall into "mumble" status, and makes the listener feel welcomed along for the ride."[8] Pitchfork wrote that GoldLink "manages to distill his city's amorphous hip-hop scene into a single sound", while Shy Glizzy "darts around with a shouted giddiness, stealing the show with his fist-pumping momentum" and Brent Faiyaz delivers an "elegant chorus" which "could appear on the song two more times and not be enough".[9] Rap-Up called it "a mellow yet unforgettable smash" featuring "Shy Glizzy's awesome flow and Brent Faiyaz's moving crooning over Teddy Walton's smooth production".[10] Jonah Mendelson from The Michigan Daily praised the artists, saying that "every member of the collaboration comes through with some of the best work of their careers", while the song "is a reminder that not every great song has to contain avant-garde experimentation or deep metaphorical meaning — there is a place for well-crafted tracks that are just an enjoyable vibe".[11]

Accolades
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 10 Best Rap Songs of 2017 7 [7]
Complex The Best Songs of 2017 11 [12]
HipHopDX The Top Rap Songs of 2017 9 [13]
Medium Best Songs of 2017 by Clyde McGrady 3 [14]
NPR The 100 Best Songs of 2017 16 [15]
Okayplayer The Best Songs of 2017 17 [8]
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2017 47 [9]
Rap-Up 20 Best Songs of 2017 17 [10]
Spin The 101 Best Songs of 2017 70 [16]
The Michigan Daily Top 10 Songs of 2017 9 [11]

Music video

The music video for the song, directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen, premiered via GoldLink's Vevo channel on March 2, 2017.[2] Cohen filmed a prominent portion of the music video in Cheverly, Maryland, a Washington DC suburb.

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (2017–19) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] 97
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 45
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19] 15
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[20] 13
US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[21] 2

Year-end charts
Chart (2017) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 48

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[24] 3× Platinum 3,000,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Crew (feat. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy) - Single by GoldLink". iTunes. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  2. "GoldLink – Crew (feat. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy)". OnSMASH. March 2, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  3. "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". The Recording Academy. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  4. "GoldLink "Crew" Official Lyrics & Meaning - Verified". June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  5. "Gucci Mane Joins GoldLink, Shy Glizzy and Brent Faiyaz for "Crew (Remix)"". XXL. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  6. "Crew (Remixes) - EP by GoldLink". iTunes. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  7. "The 10 Best Rap Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 19, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  8. "The Best Songs of 2017". Okayplayer. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  9. "The 100 Best Songs of 2017". Pitchfork. December 11, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  10. "Rap-Up's 20 Best Songs of 2017". Rap-Up. January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  11. "Top 10 Songs of 2017". The Michigan Daily. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  12. "The Best Songs of 2017". Complex. December 20, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  13. "The Top Rap Songs Of 2017". HipHopDX. December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  14. "Best of 2017: Songs of the Year (25–1)". Medium. December 12, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  15. "The 100 Best Songs Of 2017". NPR. December 13, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  16. "The 101 Best Songs of 2017". Spin. December 20, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  17. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  18. "British single certifications – GoldLink – Crew". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 24, 2020. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Crew in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  19. "American single certifications – GoldLink – Crew". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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