Every time Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign collaborate on a song, it’s always been fueled with passion and ends up being a great success. From ‘Everything We Need’ and ‘Fade’ to ‘Freeee,’ ‘Ego Death,’ ‘Real Friends,’ and ‘Only One,’ both artists are evidently not newbies in making badass collaboration. Now, they’re set to create magic again under the name ￥$, but this time it’s not just a single; it’s an entire album. Yes, you read that right—Kanye West, now known as Ye, and Ty Dolla $ign are dropping a whole album together, and as expected, fans are highly anticipating this duo masterpiece titled Vultures.
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The initial release date for the album was Dec 15, but given Kanye’s history of shifting release dates, fans naturally anticipated a change. Some of the records whose releases were also postponed include God’s Country, Jesus the king and Life of Pablo among a couple others, True to form, the album wasn’t ready on the expected date and got pushed to Dec 31, 2023, coinciding with the celebration of New Year’s Eve.
Aside from being Ye’s 11th studio album, ‘Vultures’ is significant as it marks his first release after the controversies surrounding his anti-Semitic comments, which resulted in significant financial losses – cost him a fortune, including his long-time record company, Dam Def, and some endorsement deals. During the listening party on Dec 12 at Wynwood Marketplace, right after the Art Basel Miami Beach Festival, Ye stirred more controversy by saying, ‘How am I anti-Semitic? I just fucked a Jewish Bitch,’ showing no remorse for the expected public sentiment, and further aggravated the controversy.
Alongside his major feature with Ty Dolla, the Vultures Rave also featured other guest artists who collaborated on the album. These include entertainers such as Chris Brown, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Bump J, Offset, Freddie Gibbs, Kodak Black, and North West—Kanye’s daughter. The young 10-year old has so quickly stepped into her father’s shoes, performing alongside her siblings, Saint West, Chicago West, and Psalm West, surprising fans and the world. Some artists, like Playboi Carti, were unable to make it due to travel delays, and Young Thug, currently facing a trial, also couldn’t attend. Nicki Minaj,with a verse on ‘New Body,’ and Freddie Gibbs, featured on ‘Back to Me,’ produced by 88 Keys, a long-time friend and collaborator of West, couldn’t make it in person.
Despite using Ye’s phone for Instagram Live for viewers at home, and experiencing certain technical glitches, the event was a success in the end. Releasing the Vultures album on December 31 is definitely a brilliant concept, as fans and listeners across the world can gleefully vibe to the record right into the new year, 2024.