H•A•M

"H.A.M." (an acronym for "Hard As a Motherfucker" and stylized as "H•A•M") is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from the deluxe edition of their collaborative studio album, Watch the Throne (2011). The song features additional vocals from Aude Cardona and Jacob Lewis Smith. It was produced by Lex Luger and co-produced by West, with additional production from Mike Dean, and the three of them served as co-writers with Jay-Z. The song's beat was first provided to West by Lex Luger during the recording sessions for the rapper's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). West then added his production work up until the release and would not preview it to Lex Luger, who considered this was due to his perfectionist approach. The song was released for digital download in the United States as the lead single for the album on January 11, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings.

A hip-hop, electro, and orchestral number with techno elements, the song includes drums and an electro-opera coda. In the lyrics of the song, Jay-Z presents himself as above his critics and West sexualizes white girls. Jay-Z also addresses Birdman's previous comments that he is not a better rapper nor richer than Lil Wayne, who responded to him in "It's Good". "H.A.M." received mixed reviews from music critics, who were divided towards Jay-Z and West's performance styles. Some highlighted their innovation and others considered the music to be unsuitable for the two, while a few critics praised its elaborate production.