"Swagga Like Us"
Single by Jay-Z and T.I. featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne
from the album Paper Trail
Released	September 6, 2008
Format	Digital download, airplay
Recorded	2008
Genre	Hip hop
Length	5:30 (Album Version) 4:14 (Radio Edit)
Label	Grand Hustle, Atlantic
Writer(s)	Clifford Harris, Jr., Shawn Carter, Kanye West, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Mathangi Arulpragasam, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Wesley Pentz, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer
Producer	Kanye West
T.I. singles chronology
"Wish You Would" (2008) "Swagga Like Us" (2008) "Live Your Life" (2008)
Jay-Z singles chronology "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" (2007) "Swagga Like Us" (2008) "Jockin' Jay-Z (Dopeboy Fresh)" (2008) Kanye West singles chronology "Put On" (2008) "Swagga Like Us" (2008) "Stay Up! (Viagra)" (2008) Lil Wayne singles chronology "Official Girl" (2008) "Swagga Like Us" (2008) "Mrs. Officer" (2008)

"Swagga Like Us" is a song by American hip hop recording artists T.I. and Jay-Z, released September 6, 2008 as the second single from T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail (2008).^[1] It was originally slated to appear on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 (2009), however he later confirmed all songs with Auto-Tune were removed from the album.^[2] The song features fellow American rappers Kanye West and Lil Wayne both using auto-tune in their verses. The song's instrumental is based on a mixed sample of British recording artist M.I.A. singing "no one on the corner has swagga like us," from her hit single "Paper Planes." As "Paper Planes" itself samples The Clash's song "Straight to Hell," the song has a total of 11 songwriters, including Wayne, Jay-Z, West and T.I. himself.^[3][4]

Accolades [edit]

The song was nominated a Grammy for Best Rap Song and won the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 51st Grammy Awards.^[5][6] T.I., Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and M.I.A. (who was 9 months pregnant at the time and supposedly due on the day of the perfomance) performed the song at Grammy Awards that year. This song was number 22 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.^[7]

Remixes [edit]

"Swagga Like Us" was heavily remixed by various artists. Hip hop duo Clipse included their remix on their mixtape Road To Till The Casket Drops. Diddy recorded a remix titled "Swagger Like Puff" featuring Cassie singing the chorus. Trey Songz has also recorded one under the name of "Swagga Like Songz". On November 10, 2008, Chamillionaire released his own remix of the song for his mixtape Mixtape Messiah 5, titled "Swagga Like Koop".

Also, Drake, Fabolous, Freeway, Twista, Kid Cudi, Tinie Tempah, Flo Rida, Hot Rod and Tony Yayo have all performed or recorded "freestyles" over the instrumental. Rick Ross has also done his own freestyle remix, stated to be retaliation for being left off the original song. Dolla created his own version featured on his last mixtape, The Miseducation of Dolla

Jim Jones recorded "Jackin' Swagger from Us" with Twista, NOE and Lil Wayne which takes shots at T.I. and Jay-Z for allegedly stealing their styles. The song is a bonus track on his album Pray IV Reign.^[8][9]

Charts [edit]

In the U.S. the song made a "Hot Shot Debut"^{[citation needed]} on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 5 with 139,000 digital downloads in its first week, making it both Jay-Z's and T.I.'s highest debut on the chart.^[10] It's also Jay-Z's third top five hit, as well as T.I.'s fourth on the chart. The song made a Hot Shot Debut on the Pop 100 at number 19 on the week of September 18, 2008. On September 21, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 33^[11] on downloads alone. On the Canadian Hot 100 chart, it debuted at number 19 also on digital downloads.^{[citation needed]}

Chart positions [edit]

Track listing [edit]

Digital single

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

v t e T.I. singles discography Discography Awards and nominations Videography Trap Muzik "24's" "Be Easy" "Rubberband Man" "Let's Get Away" Urban Legend "Bring Em Out" "U Don't Know Me" "ASAP" King "What You Know" "Why You Wanna" "Live in the Sky" "Top Back" T.I. vs. T.I.P. "Big Shit Poppin' (Do It)" "You Know What It Is" "Hurt" Paper Trail "Whatever You Like" "Swagga Like Us" "Live Your Life" "Dead and Gone" Case Closed "Remember Me" "Hell of a Life" No Mercy "Got Your Back" "Get Back Up" "That's All She Wrote" Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head "Go Get It" "Ball" Grand Hustle Presents: Hustle Gang "Memories Back Then" Featured singles "Never Scared" "Soldier" "Round Here" "3 Kings" "Touch" "Shoulder Lean" "My Love" "Pac's Life" "I'm a Flirt" "We Takin' Over" "Whatever U Like" "5000 Ones" "For a Minute" "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" "Ain't I" "Just Like Me" "Day Dreaming" "Hello Good Morning" "Winner" "Make Up Bag" "Fancy" "F.A.M.E." "Magic" "Big Beast" "We in This Bitch" "Back 2 Life (Live It Up)" "2 Reasons" "Blurred Lines" Promotional singles "Front Back" "No Matter What" "Swing Ya Rag" "What Up, What's Haapnin'" "Wish You Would" "I'm Back" "Bet I" "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)" "I'm Flexin'" "Sleazy Remix 2.0: Get Sleazier" "Love This Life" "Trap Back Jumpin" "Sorry" "Pour It Up (Remix)" Other songs "Touchdown" "My Life Your Entertainment" "Castle Walls" "Deuces (Remix)" Book:T.I.