Inside Music with Melinda Newman

Listen: Kanye West and Jay-Z debut a new song from 'Watch The Throne'

'Otis' pays homage to Otis Redding

By Melinda Newman Thursday, Jul 21, 2011 12:26 PM

Kanye West and Jay-Z

Credit: VEVO

Less than two weeks before “Watch The Throne's" release, Jay-Z and Kanye West let loose with a new song from the collaboration.

“Otis,” which Flexmaster Flex bowed on his blog Wednesday night, opens with a sample of Otis Redding’s classic “Try A Little Tenderness” (and gives way to a pretty cool remix of Redding’s tune that serves as a tasty bed under the whole track) before the two rappers go back and forth on anything but tender rhymes. Jay-Z brags about his new watches and West riffs on the word “custom... customs... customers.” They drop a lot more product names and...we’re done.

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Having said that, it use of “Tenderness,” the remix, and the juxtaposition of Redding’s sweet vocals against their gruff raps work great. Plus, we like the abrupt end. Groundbreaking? No. Very good, yes. But expectations are really high on this one that a track we still haven't heard puts a new part in our hair.

As we previously reported, West and Jay-Z recorded every song together.