After much delay, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have finally released their controversial new collaborative album, ‘Vultures 1’.
READ MORE: With his “White Lives Matter” stunt, has Kanye West finally hit the point of no return?
The pair have been teasing their new album for some months, after news first circulated in August 2023 that West would be releasing new music “imminently” before reports of a late January release and then a drop date set for yesterday (Friday February 9).
When that failed to materialise, many expected an indefinite wait. However, the record – the first in an instalment of three – has now been released on Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL and Spotify. There was some delay before it arrived on the latter, leading many to believe that it might be available on the platform.
The 16-track album also features contributions Lil Durk, Bump J, Freddie Gibbs, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Quavo, and West’s daughter, North. Check out the tracklist below.
1. ‘Stars’
2. ‘Keys To My Life’
3. ‘Paid’
4. ‘Talking’
5. ‘Back To Me’
6. ‘Hoodrat’
7. ‘Do It’
8. ‘Paperwork’
9. ‘Burn’
10. ‘Fuck Sumn’
11. ‘Vultures’ (Havoc Version)
12. ‘Carnival’
13. ‘Beg Forgiveness’
14. ‘Good (Don’t Die)’
15. ‘Problematic’
16. ‘The King’
West announced the release by sharing the artwork, which appears to show himself in all-black and a hockey mask, joined by his wife Bianca Censori in the nude.
West has received criticism for sharing photos of his wife in either the nude or revealing attire – with System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan telling him to “show some class“, adding: “Your wife isn’t supposed to be your trophy, she’s your place of pride and dignity. This isn’t the way”.
The album was released after a listening party event in New York, which ended on a controversial note as West rapped: “And I’m still crazy, bipolar, anti-Semite. And I’m still the king.”
This comes after Ozzy Osbourne hit out at West for sampling Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ without permission. It is reported that West played the clip during an event promoting his new album with Ty Dolla $ign last night (February 8) at the United Center in Chicago.
Tagging the rapper, Osbourne revealed West “asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘War Pig’ from the US festival without vocals” but was subsequently “refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many.”
Osbourne added: “He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!”
. @KANYEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “IRON MAN” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM…
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 9, 2024
Sharon Osbourne then followed this up, telling reporters that Kanye “fucked with the wrong Jew this time“.
Sharon, who was raised as Jewish, said that Ozzy typically doesn’t refuse to clear samples – but in West’s case, he had “special fucking occasion to say no”. She went on to brand West as a “disrespectful anti-Semite”, saying that these days he “represents hate”. The Osbournes have also reportedly sent off a cease and desist to West. She added: “The motherfucker’s a pig.”
This also follows Ozzy and wife Sharon Osbourne dressing up as Kanye and his wife Bianca Censori last year, mimicking a stunt where they attended an event with the rapper in all black and wife his face hidden while Censori was seemingly only holding a cushion to cover herself.
Happy Halloween pic.twitter.com/6sfhkatPfp
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) November 1, 2023
West was first accused of anti-Semitism in October 2022 following a series of posts on both Twitter and Instagram, which saw his accounts on both social media sites suspended.
Following the initial claims of anti-Semitism, the rapper was dropped by his lawyer, talent agency and record label, while several fashion brands – including Balenciaga and Adidas – ended their partnerships with him. Celebrities and politicians around the world condemned his comments, while West said he didn’t “believe” in the term antisemitism in an interview with News Nation‘s Chris Cuomo.
He recently issued an apology to the Jewish community for his anti-Semitic comments.
West also hit out at venues he thinks aren’t booking him due to his past controversies.
“We just sold out the United Center in seven minutes… It’s the only arena that I had access to in the past year. And when I call, people say there’s no [availabilities] for me, and you know why that is. So if there’s anybody out there that can help with this, please do,” he wrote before quickly taking down the post.
“I have not been allowed to perform in a year,” he wrote in a separate post in all caps. “Feels like the Elvis Presley movie.”
Earlier this week, West hinted at a potential ‘Vultures’ world tour by sharing a screenshot of a text message exchange that revealed a possible tour schedule. The list included arena dates in Toronto, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other locations throughout this summer. Additionally, the work-in-progress itinerary featured huge gigs in Spain and Egypt ahead of four consecutive nights at The O2 in London this September. Further performances were listed for Dubai, Nairobi and Lagos.
The document concluded with dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo – all of which were slated for early 2025.
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