Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “Ni**as In Paris” Goes Diamond

Kanye West and Jay-Z will have to find some new space on their walls or loaded trophy mantles, as their 2011 record “Ni**as In Paris” has officially earned Diamond certification.

The Recording Industry Association of America made the announcement on Monday (June 12). This is a historic feat for Hov, as it marks his first 10x Platinum record ever. As for Ye, this is his second Diamond-certified track after 2007’s “Stronger” off of Graduation.

Hit-Boy, one of the record’s producers, took to Instagram to celebrate this momentous occasion. “Luv to Ye and Hov for the opportunity,” he wrote. “Im forever grateful. 10x”

“Ni**as In Paris” was part of Kanye West and Jay-Z’s 2011 collaborative album Watch The Throne. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

As for Watch The Throne as a whole, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and sold 436,000 copies. As of November 2020, it was certified five times Platinum. The LP features Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé, and Mr Hudson, and was led by the single “Otis.”

“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,” West told XXL in 2010 when describing his inspiration for the track. “When we’re in Paris dressing all crazy at fashion shows, we listening to JAY-Z. Jeezy in Paris, that’s what it is.”