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Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)

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"Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)"
Song by Metro Boomin and 21 Savage featuring Mustafa
from the album Heroes & Villains
ReleasedDecember 2, 2022
GenreHorrorcore
Length5:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)" is a song by American record producer Metro Boomin and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage featuring Canadian poet and singer Mustafa from the former's second studio album Heroes & Villains (2022). It was produced by Metro, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Peter Lee Johnson, and Simon on the Moon.

Composition

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The song contains audio from Gucci Mane's 2007 documentary Hood Affairs. Over "sinister"-sounding piano keys in his signature horrorcore style and an "icy, monotone delivery",[1][2] 21 Savage lyrically depicts gun and street violence[2][3] and his determination to retaliate against the opposition.[4] Midway through, the production shifts to a piano-backed, choir-lined instrumental, over which Mustafa sings about the trauma and turmoil that occurs as a result of the violence.[3][5]

Critical reception

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The song received generally positive reviews. Hamza Riaz of Mic Cheque considered it one of the "bone-chilling cuts" from Heroes & Villains, although also an example of which "When there is a new voice, they are shoehorned onto a disconnected strand of a track that would've benefited without it".[1] Wongo Okon of Uproxx commented that Metro Boomin "shines as a conductor" in the song.[4] Complex's Peter A. Berry regarded the hook (performed by 21 Savage) as "simple, yet symbolic enough to be anthemic".[2] Slant Magazine's Charles Lyons-Burt was favorable toward the song spotlighting a lesser-known artist (Mustafa), writing that through this approach, "the album might have felt a bit less redundant with 2018's Not All Heroes Wear Capes, which featured many of the same artists."[5]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[6] 28
Global 200 (Billboard)[7] 59
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 52
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] 19

References

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  1. ^ a b Riaz, Hamza (December 7, 2022). "Review: Metro Boomin, 'Heroes & Villains'". Mic Cheque. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Berry, Peter A. (December 8, 2022). "Metro Boomin's 'Heroes and Villains' Is the Ultimate Rap Blockbuster". Complex. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b Brickner-Wood, Brady (December 8, 2022). "Metro Boomin: Heroes & Villains Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Okon, Wongo (December 7, 2022). "Metro Boomin's 'Heroes & Villains' Captivates By Accentuating His Collaborators' Best Superpowers". Uproxx. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b Lyons-Burt, Charles (December 6, 2022). "Metro Boomin Heroes & Villains Review: Boomin' Beats by Committee". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  6. ^ "Metro Boomin Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  7. ^ "Metro Boomin Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "Metro Boomin Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "Metro Boomin Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.