Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)
2022 song by Metro Boomin and 21 Savage featuring Mustafa
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"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.
| "Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Metro Boomin and 21 Savage featuring Mustafa | |
| from the album Heroes & Villains | |
| Released | December 2, 2022 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 5:11 |
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| Music video | |
| "Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians)" on YouTube | |
Composition
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
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]
Music video
A music video for the song was released 2 years and 1 day after the album was originally released, on December 3, 2024.
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[6] | 28 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[7] | 59 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 52 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] | 19 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[10] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||