River (¥$ and Young Thug song)

"River"
Song by ¥$ and Young Thug
from the album Vultures 2
Released	August 3, 2024 (2024-08-03)
Genre	R&B soul alternative hip hop conscious hip hop gospel
Length	4:07
Label	YZY
Songwriter(s)	Ye Tyrone Griffin, Jr. Jeffery Williams Jordan Jenks Nasir Pemberton London Holmes Samuel Lindley Aswad Asif
Producer(s)	Ye Pi'erre Bourne Digital Nas London on da Track The Legendary Traxster AyoAA

"River" is a song by American hip hop superduo ¥$ (composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign) and fellow American rapper Young Thug. It was released through West's YZY brand as the eleventh track from the superduo's second collaborative album, Vultures 2, on August 3, 2024. The song features additional vocals from American singer Charlie Wilson and the Curva Nord Milano ultras. It was released through YZY on August 3, 2024. The song was written and produced by West himself alongside Pi'erre Bourne, AyoAA, Digital Nas, London on da Track and The Legendary Traxster; the five of them wrote it alongside Ty Dolla Sign and Young Thug.

Composition and lyrics

In its lyrics, "River" makes several references to other public figures. Young Thug opens with a verse that emphasizes luxury. He raps about affording luxury goods for women, showing off expensive watches like the Audemars Piguet, and maintaining a lifestyle characterized by high-end fashion and extravagant spending.

The chorus, performed by Kanye West, pleas for freedom for incarcerated individuals. West repeatedly chants, "Too much money to be in the streets / Too much money to spend all on me / Too much hate and not enough love / Free Larry, free Young Thug." West has advocated for Larry Hoover's release from prison for over a decade. On May 9, 2022, Thug was arrested in Atlanta on gang-related charges. On West's third verse, he advocates for the release of Demetrius Flenory as well.

The outro of the song is an extract of American singer Leon Bridges' track “River", from his 2015 album Coming Home.

Critical reception

The song was met with generally positive reviews. Michael Saponara of Billboard ranked "River" as the seventh best song on Vultures 2. He wrote "While calling for Young Thug's freedom - as he opens 'River' with a silky verse - the inspiring track gives fans a holy bath, and looks to purify Ye and Ty's souls with help from Leon Bridges and Uncle Charlie Wilson." Mosi Reeves from Rolling Stone wrote, "[Ty Dolla Sign's] intentions don’t seem as fraught — or as impactful — as Ye, or guest stars like Young Thug, the now-imprisoned ATL innovator who appears on 'River.' Given Thugger’s never-ending racketeering trial, his claim that he has “too much money to be in the streets” feels sadly ironic." Sam Moore from HipHopDx wrote, "...'River,' which heavily interpolates the Leon Bridges track of the same name, should have been a pillar that the album was built around." Gabriel Nevares from HotNewHipHop wrote, "Yet no one stands out the way that guests did on albums like Donda because of how rickety the foundations for their appearances are. One definite exception is 'RIVER,' with progressive production and a charismatic Young Thug verse that (if only for its inclusion) speaks to Kanye's themes of freedom and justice on the track. Ye's passionate vocal performance and lyricism are a rare highlight here, and Ty Dolla $ign leads the outro with heavenly vocals." Paul Attard from Slant Magazine wrote, "'River' transforms a fairly pedestrian Leon Bridges song into a touching and triumphant plea for freedom on behalf of both Larry Hoover and Young Thug, with a sleek Thugger feature tacked onto the start for good measure."