Rapp Snitch Knishes
| "Rapp Snitch Knishes" | |
|---|---|
| Song by MF Doom featuring Mr. Fantastik | |
| from the album Mm..Food | |
| Released | 16 November 2004 |
| Genre | Hip-hop |
| Length | 2:52 |
| Label | Rhymesayers |
| Songwriters |
|
| Producer | MF Doom |
"Rapp Snitch Knishes" is a song by British-American rapper MF Doom featuring rapper Mr. Fantastik (whose identity is unconfirmed), taken from the former's fifth studio album Mm..Food (2004). It uses an instrumental titled "Coffin Nails" produced by MF Doom himself (under the alias Metal Fingers), which contains a sample of David Matthews' rendition of "Space Oddity" by David Bowie.
Background
In an interview with XXL, MF Doom stated "At the time I wrote the song, I think I was with one of my boys and we stopped and got knishes that day. It's just something that resonated with me." He further explained:
Words that rhyme with knish...any aspect of that, how it sounds, how it can match with something in society. So "rap snitch" and "knishes" kinda go together. So it was easy to find a title. The challenge was coming up with good enough references to make a song.[1]
Composition
The production features a sped-up electric guitar riff, sampled from a cover of "Space Oddity", looping over a boom bap beat.[2][3] Lyrically, it criticizes rappers who self-incriminate by rapping about crimes they committed in their own songs.[4]
Critical reception
David Jeffries of AllMusic wrote, "Mr. Fantastik gives fakes a proper whooping on the excellent 'Rapp Snitch Knishes.'"[5] Nick Sylvester of Pitchfork also praised Mr. Fantastik's performance, writing he "hardly embarrasses himself".[6] Rapper Mos Def said of the song in a video conversation with HipHopDX, "This song needs to be out, and it needs to be a hit."[7]
Complex placed the song at number 22 on their list "The 50 Funniest Rap Songs".[4] Paste ranked it number 12 in their list of "The 25 Best MF DOOM Songs".[3]
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[8] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "DOOM Shares The Stories Behind Ten Of His Best Verses". XXL. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Tart, Chris (12 February 2015). "#TBT: MF Doom". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ a b Russell, Scott (8 January 2021). "The 25 Best MF DOOM Songs". Paste. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ a b Rosenthal, Eric; Rosenthal, Jeff; Ju, Shirley (13 March 2018). "The 50 Funniest Rap Songs". Complex. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Jeffries, David. "Mm...Food – MF Doom". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ Sylvester, Nick (15 November 2004). "MF Doom: Mm..Food?". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ "Mos Def Praises MF DOOM, Compares Against Lil Wayne". HipHopDX. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – MF Doom feat. Mr. Fantastik – Rapp Snitch Knishes". Radioscope. Retrieved 15 December 2024. Type Rapp Snitch Knishes in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
- ^ "British single certifications – Mf Doom Ft Mr Fantastik – Rapp Snitch Knishes". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 June 2025. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Rapp Snitch Knishes Mf Doom Ft Mr Fantastik in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "American single certifications – Mf Doom – Rapp Snitch Knishes". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 September 2024.