
Peak
41
Weeks
12
Score
680
Chart Year
2016
The music video premiered in August 2016 on Kehlani's YouTube account. In the video Kehlani is seen in places making multiple references to the movie. They starts lying in a room of broken glass next to the bat Harley uses in the movie, swimming in a pool of water similar to acid Harley dives into, performing aerial acrobatics on the ceiling, dancing in a club for a love interest who looks similar to the Joker with green hair, tattoos and purple clothes and finally meeting that love interest outside. This is intercut with scenes from the movie showing the relationship of Harley and the Joker.
A cut from the soundtrack for the DC comics-inspired movie Suicide Squad, "Gangsta" was premiered by Zane Lowe on Beats 1 on August 1, 2016. Director David Ayer told Lowe the song "blends into the fabric of the film" and is used extensively. "I heard this and a few bars in and I was like this is a beast, this is gonna smash, this is it. But the other thing is there was this emotional quality to it, that sort of raw, broken yet strong, haunting quality to it," he added. "I think I threw it on a flash drive and ran in to the editor and I'm like dude you gotta throw this on picture I need to see this right now and it just instantly worked." Fans soon started drawing parallels between the song's lyrics and Suicide Squad's depiction of Harley Quinn's relationship with The Joker. When Lowe asked Ayer if the song has any particular connection to Harley Quinn, the director replied that the track, "speaks a lot to relationships and making a choice and - at the same time - how there's also power in surrendering to somebody." The song was co-written by Skylar Grey, whose other credits include Eminem and Rihanna's "Love The Way You Lie," Dr Dre's "I Need a Doctor" and Diddy-Dirty Money's "Coming Home." She recalled to Genius: "The 'Gangsta' hook was actually written prior to being asked to work on the Suicide Squad soundtrack, but the movie studio heard it early on and asked for it to be finished. I co-wrote it with Jacob Luttrell and Jason Evigan."
I need a gangsta To love me better Than all the others do To always forgive me Ride or die with me That's just what gangsters do I'm fucked up, I'm black and blue I'm built for it, all the abuse I got secrets, that nobody, nobody, nobody knows I'm good on, that pussy shit I don't want, what I can get I want someone, with secrets That nobody, nobody, nobody knows I need a gangsta To love me better Than all the others do To always forgive me Ride or die with me That's just what gangsters do My freakness is on the loose And running, all over you Please take me to places, that nobody, nobody knows You got me hooked up on the feeling You got me hanging from the ceiling Got me up so high I'm barely breathing So don't let me, don't let me, don't let me, don't let me go I need a gangsta (gangsta, gangsta) To love me better (love me, love me better, better, baby) Than all the others do (they do, they do, they do-oh-oh-oh) To always forgive me (always forgive) Ride or die with me (ride or die with me) That's just what gangsters do (do)
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 27, 2016 | 62 | 64 |
| 2 | Sep 3, 2016 | 43 | 83 |
| 3 | Sep 10, 2016 | 41 | 85 |
| 4 | Sep 17, 2016 | 54 | 72 |
| 5 | Sep 24, 2016 | 63 | 63 |
| 6 | Oct 1, 2016 | 74 | 52 |
| 7 | Oct 8, 2016 | 82 | 44 |
| 8 | Oct 15, 2016 | 88 | 38 |
| 9 | Oct 22, 2016 | 95 | 31 |
| 10 | Oct 29, 2016 | 100 | 26 |
| 11 | Nov 5, 2016 | 90 | 36 |
| 14 | Nov 26, 2016 | 100 | 26 |