"Faneto" is a song by American rapper Chief Keef from his mixtape Back from the Dead 2 (2014).[2][3][4] It slowly achieved underground success, eventually reaching over 60 million cumulative YouTube views, and becoming sought after by MCs, DJs, and radio.[5]
| "Faneto" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Chief Keef | |
| from the album Back from the Dead 2 | |
| Released | October 2, 2014 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:26 |
| Label | |
Summary
edit"Faneto" has been described as explosive,[6] fiery and rhythmic,[7] and odd, atypical-sounding, and unexpected.[8] The song contains heavy ad-libbing and an echoing drum bassline.[8] Chief Keef makes threats like blowing up the state of New Jersey in response to someone stealing jewelry.[8] The song is violent at times, with lyrics such as "Talkin' out his neck, pistol to his throat (To his throat, bang) / Blow this motherfucker, he gon' choke."[9]
Other versions
editIn 2015, a ten minute remix of Faneto was made with Chicago rappers Lil Bibby, Lil Herb, King Louie, and Lil Durk, produced by DJ Pharris.[5]
On December 15, 2023 Lil Gnar released a version called "Faneto (Gnar Mix)". The song uses the beat of Faneto.
Reception
editThe song saw sustained viral success, around 60 million cumulative YouTube views, and was covered by Drake.[7] One review points out that Back from the Dead 2 was one Chief Keef's best mixtapes, and that "Faneto" was the centerpiece of it, helping to cement Keef in the rap game, as the "internet was flooded with infinite remixes of the track, raising the profile nearly every rapper that graced the beat (see: Young Pappy and Famous Dex). Chief Keef was not a fad. “Faneto” made that indisputable."[10]
XXL magazine said that the song has "undoubtedly become one of the biggest hip-hop party anthems in recent years".[11]
Complex reported on the continuity of the songs success: "In April 2015, the Chicago Reader published a story that called attention to the unexpected, 'slow' rise of the song, which had been out for well under a year. Now, here we are, in 2019, and 'Faneto' is just as hot as ever."[12][13]
When asked why he thinks people are still reacting so passionately to the music five years later, Chief Keef explains that it all stems from the day he initially created the rhythm.[12] "They feel it when it comes on," he said. "When I made the beat, I ain't even know how I wanted to do the drums. I tried something different. You can hear like, how the claps fall. I just went with it, and people fucked with it."[12]
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Credits: Faneto". Spotify. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ "Chief Keef / Gucci Mane: Back From the Dead 2/Big Gucci Sosa". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ Miss2Bees (2018-11-07). "The Source |Chief Keef Performs 'Faneto' & More Drill Hits With Live Orchestra". The Source. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Chief Keef Self-produced His Hit Song "Faneto" | DailyRapFacts". dailyrapfacts.com. 2020-03-23. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ a b "The unexpected appeal of 'Faneto,' Chief Keef's slow-growing underground hit". Chicago Reader. 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ Richards, Chris (June 3, 2020). "Imagine there's no 'Imagine'". Washington Post.
- ^ a b "Chief Keef: Nobody 2". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ a b c "Bout to Blow: 10 Dope Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon". Complex. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ Preezy. "50 Violent Rap Lyrics That Will Make You Cringe". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ "11 Songs That Define Chicago Drill, the Decade's Most Important Rap Subgenre". Pitchfork. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ Coe, Kairi. "Crowd Dancing to Chief Keef's "Faneto" Causes Floor to Collapse - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ a b c "Long Live "Faneto": Chief Keef on the Legacy of His Lasting Hit". Complex. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ "The unexpected appeal of 'Faneto,' Chief Keef's slow-growing underground hit". Chicago Reader. 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ "American single certifications – Chief Keef – Faneto". Recording Industry Association of America.