On June 26 , 2013 , '' Time '' named " New Slaves " the " Best Song of 2013 ( So Far ) " and later on December 20 , 2013 , placed it first on its " The 25 Best Songs of 2013 ( The Entire Year ) . " On December 2 , 2013 , '' Complex '' named " New Slaves " the best song of 2013 . Dave Bry commented saying , " Plenty of artists sold more records than Kanye West in 2013 . No one did anything near to as artistically powerful . " New Slaves " is the best song of the year . And it 's not even close . " '' NME '' ranked the song at number 36 on their list of the 50 best songs of 2013 . It was named the second best song of 2013 by '' Pitchfork '' . They elaborated saying , " " New Slaves " is the hardened cartilage of Yeezus , the leanest and grisliest piece of music on an album without a single yielding surface . There is n't a wasted breath or unnecessary word ; every single thought cleaves through the meat . ... Yes , Kanye is a wealthy man , and yes , the particulars of his rage might be convoluted , involving his lack of access to the upper reaches of the fashion industry . But its source comes from an acute , unwavering awareness of a central fact : Even in the elite corridors of power where he now walks , some doors are still locked . On " New Slaves " , he transforms into the hordes demanding entry . To paraphrase the words of his one-time mentor : The whole industry could hate him ; he 'll flail his way through . " The song earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards , ultimately losing to " Thrift Shop " by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
56th Annual Grammy Awards
56th Annual Grammy Awards
New Slaves