The 50 Best Kanye West Songs Ever

43. Live Fast, Die Young

Release Date: June 20, 2010

Album: Rick Ross’ Teflon Don

Writer(s): Frederick Knight, Kanye West, Marvin Gaye, Leonard Roberts II

Producer(s): Kanye West

Notable Lyric:

“I’m back by unpopular demand

Least he still popping in Japan, shopping in Milan

Hopping out the van, screams from the fans

‘Yeezy, always knew you’d be on top again!’

And we ’bout to hit Jacob the Jeweler

So I can be like Slick Rick, and rule ya

Dr. Martin Louis the King, Junior

And I’mma never let the dream turn to Kruegers.”

The recording sessions that took place before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy are now the stuff of legend. Over a few weeks in Hawaii, Kanye and his many collaborators created arguably one of the best albums of the 21st century.

Not all of what was recorded ended up on that album, though. Some tracks — like “Live Fast, Die Young” — ended up being gifted to other rappers when Kanye felt they didn’t fit the concept of the album he wanted to make.

Rick Ross ably took the beat for “Live Fast, Die Young” and made it into one of the standout tracks of his own album, Teflon Don. In keeping with both the vaguely morbid themes of that album and the previous track on this list, it’s a song that emphasizes living in the moment and thriving in the time allotted to us.

Next: 42. Why I Love You