About “Niggas in Paris”

Kanye West, XXL Magazine, October 2010:

I am where art meets commercial. The sweet spot between the hood and Hollywood. Having a conversation with Karl Lagerfeld and Jay-Z within the same hour. When we’re in Paris dressing all crazy at fashion shows, we listening to Jeezy. Jeezy in Paris, that’s what it is

This song gains thematic weight from the long, rich history of African-Americans in Paris and the rest of France, dating back to the early nineteenth century. Paris has historically been a place where black artists could go to escape vicious racism and gain the appreciation denied them in their homeland. See a short sample list of folks who have done so here