"Jewels N' Drugs" is a song written by Lady Gaga and produced by DJ White Shadow in 2012 for ARTPOP. The song features rap verses from T.I., Too Short and Twista. The song was registered on Gaga's BMI on February 14, 2014.
Background
| “ | I was doing some songs last year with one her producers, DJ White Shadow. He’s been pretty busy, doing his thing around the world and he got back at me a little while ago and said, ‘There’s a song that Lady Gaga’s doing that possibly they would want to get you on’ … so I said, ‘s— I’m down with it!’ | ” |
—Twista to MTV News | ||
Soon after, the session was booked in Los Angeles and $hort got in the booth and laid his verse down, just like that. "Then he called back and was like, 'She's going to debut the song at one of her shows' and I'm like,'s--- I'm there!'".
Lady Gaga talked about the collaborating with T.I., Too Short and Twista for this song in the track-by-track ARTPOP commentary on Sirius XM.
| “ | "Jewels N' Drugs" is also a song I did with DJ White Shadow, and he really shines on hip-hop records, and he hails from Chicago, so there’s a lot of trap influence on this song; but it really starts on kind of in a space where trap music started, and really grows into a more electronic, sort of innovative progressive-trap song. And I was really excited to work with T.I., to work with Too $hort - who’s really amazing - and Twista, who’s from Chicago. So, you know, that’s a very special song for me. Also, because a lot of times when I have these hip-hop collaborations, they like, dissipate, into thin air; and I think it’s because, these rappers like, go back into their crews, and their groups, and everybody goes like “I don’t know if you should work with Lady Gaga, ‘cause she’s got like, gay fans, and you know, I don’t know if that’s gonna be a good look for you…” but these guys are totally fearless, and they just don’t care about any of that, and they really wanted to make a record that was inclusive, that involved everybody, and they weren’t afraid to bring those communities together and put them in one room, and I really appreciate that. | ” |
On April 30, 2021 during "no skips” ARTPOP party at the Scarlet Bar in Chicago DJ White Shadow revealed the story of how the idea to record this song was born: "There was some jewelry and weed on the table on the tour bus and [Lady] Gaga asked Tara [Savelo] to pass her the weed but she passed her a bracelet instead. [Lady] Gaga told Tara [Savelo], 'I don't want the jewels, I want the drugs.' "
Performances
| Dates | Location | City | 
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|---|
| 2013 | |||
| Sep 1 | iTunes Festival1 | London | 
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| Sep 2 | Boujis2 | ||
| Sep 7 | Le Poisson Rouge | New York City | 
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| 2014 | |||
| March 13 | South by Southwest (SXSW)3 | Austin, TX |
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| 1. Featured Too Short and Twista (T.I. was featured on video interlude). 2. Featured Too Short. 3. Featured Twista. |
Interlude
Jewels N' Drugs Interlude
Ruth Hogben directed video interlude for artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball, video shown on the screen in the back showing Gaga dancing.
Lyrics
T.I.:
Yeah, it’s about that time, yeah
Time ta take off partna, alright
Hustle gang, uh huh, G.D.O.D
Get your doe or die partna
Yup, let go
Still Bankhead, shawty, yeah you know what it is
Pocket full of numbers, rubber bands and bills
Came up from round, that's a Dandiville
Fixin' to do a deal about, 'bout 60 mil'
You ain't lived that life, you perpetrate
You wasn't really trapping circling birds of prey
You ain't have to beat no murder case
Man, you probably couldn't get a 'o any day
‘Round my way cats get murdered playing
Ain't no rules, play dirtay, man
Put some through your jersey, man
If your partna want some we can do it again
Okay, H-U-S-T-L-E G-G-A-N-G, that wait
Yeah, just pull up, pull up, hop out, hop out
All about the dollar, better go ask Gaga-Gaga-Gaga-Gaga
Lady Gaga:
Don’t want your jewels, I want your drugs
Don’t want your money, want your love
Don’t want your jewels, I want your drugs
Want your jewels, I want your drugs
Don’t want your money, want your love
I admit that my habit’s expensive
And you may find it, quite offensive
But I won’t die at the hands of another
I’m your mother, sister, your father, brother
This family is stupid attractive
If you've surveyed the way we’ve acted
Keep it coming, I’m coming around like your friend now
I think you should shut, up and sit down
Don’t want your jewels, I want your drugs
Don’t want your money, want your love
Don’t want your jewels, I want your drugs
Want your jewels, I want your drugs
Don’t want your money, want your love
Too $hort:
Everybody about that money, what you want?
I’m high as hell trying to have some fucking fun
I don’t need ‘em, but the diamonds make it shine
Tried to quit it, but just can’t find the time
It’s the middle of the week, this ain’t even the weekend
Red carpet event, every time you sink in
It’s good pussy in the passenger’s seat
My lil’ homies hang with me, I be passing ‘em freaks
Bitch!
Lady Gaga:
Jewels and drugs, play that hustle
Smother 'em, if you wanna be bad
Slap honey on a young pancake
We know how to make that money
Jewels and drugs, play that hustle
Smother 'em, if you wanna be bad
Ain’t nothin’ if it ain’t a family
We know how to make that money
Twista:
Come and show me the gateway into your love
I feel like'a money can never do it like a club,
And I feel like a diamond can never do it like a drug
And I want us to come on and take it with me so that I can hit it
I can admit it, I am influenced by desire
When I approach her I try to provoke her by giving money and jewellery
And accessories, instead of the recipe of a legacy
You're taking it to another place when I get it
Hold up
Twista be going at warp speed breaking atoms
Blowin' O.G. has got me creating antimatter
Then'a poppin' and smokin' up with me, never gotta,
Because you be ready to party in the mood of club
I think it’s an anomaly
And I’mma be strange as Lady Gaga
Probably, a dollar be the business,
but I’d rather be in an outer dimension
when I be talking about Jewels 'N Drugs
Lady Gaga:
Jewels and drugs, play that hustle
Smother 'em, if you wanna be bad
Slap honey on a young pancake
We know how to make that money
Jewels and drugs, play that hustle
Smother 'em, if you wanna be bad
Ain’t nothin’ if it ain’t a family
We know how to make that money
Credits
| Writers | Lady Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Nick Monson, Dino Zisis, Twista, Too $hort and Clifford Harris Jr. |
| Producers | Lady Gaga and DJ White Shadow |
| Additional production | Nick Monson and Dino Zisis |
| Recording by | Dave Russell, Bill Malina and Benjamin Rice at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA
|
| Assistant recording | Benjamin Rice, Ghazi Hourani and Daniel Zaidenstadt |
| Additional recording | Elliot Carter and Daniel Zaidenstadt at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA
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| Programing by | Rick Pearl |
| Background vocals | Nicole Ganther, Natalie Ganther and Lyon Gray |
| Background vocal arrangement | Lady Gaga |
| Union contract administration | Ivy Skoff |
| Mixed by | Manny Marroquin at Larrabee North Studios, Universal City, CA
|
| Assistant mixers | Chris Galland and Delhert Bowers at Larrabee Studios |
| Mastering | Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CA
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| Published by |
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| Twista appears courtesy of GMG Entertainment, LLC and T.I. appears courtesy of Grand Hustlex | |
