It’s true that Kanye West’s first ten years of fame were almost flawless. Kanye’s career peaked with the publication of his genre-bending album Yeezus in 2013 and his breakthrough masterwork The College Dropout in 2004 (which just turned 20). However, even throughout the series of interviews to support Yeezus, Kanye maintained a busy style that seemed to get worse with time. Only a few years after the conclusion of his Yeezus Tour, Ye experienced what can only be regarded as the “beginning of the end” for his creative dominance, given everything that has happened to him since. While there were some excellent musical moments, strong rapping, and timeless songs on 2016’s The Life of Pablo, the album’s poor and disorganized production devalued its entire legacy and put Kanye West on a path that has seen similar things happen to his career.
While there were some excellent musical moments, strong rapping, and timeless songs on 2016’s The Life of Pablo, the album’s poor and disorganized production devalued its entire legacy and put Kanye West on a path that has seen similar things happen to his career. The first installment of the three-part album extravaganza by Ye and Ty Dolla $ign is titled Vultures 1. “Why Ty Dolla $ign?” was the first thought that crossed everyone’s mind when this project was revealed in late 2023. Both Ye and Ty clearly have a strong appreciation for music and a passion for writing catchy songs, but it’s still unclear how and why Ty joined Kanye’s failing venture. Dolla $ign has always been deliberate and kind in his choices of records and collaborators, so it’s unclear why he would voluntarily want to participate in one of Kanye’s unusual—and occasionally fantastic—album releases. But he did nonetheless.
Following several unplanned release dates and several delays, the 16-track album was eventually released late on Friday, February 11. It’s difficult to tell at first listen whether the album is genuinely moving or if it’s merely thrilling to have it available on streaming services. The album begins with the gospel-infused, slowly developing intro tune “Stars,” which features Ty Dolla $ign and Kanye West sounding assured yet at ease. “Keys To My Life,” the second track, features more of the same hat-in-hand serenity. Meanwhile, “Paid” and “Talking” boost the intensity a bit with their lively, pulsating drums while maintaining composure. The album does a fantastic job at masking Ye’s previous year of strife after a quarter of the way through, to the point where these songs could have been suitable. Things start to get a little weird in “Back To Me,” not necessarily for Kanye, but for the listeners’ standards. Jay’s (of Jay & Silent Bob fame) famous quote, “Beautiful, naked, big-titty women just don’t fall out of the sky, you know?” serves as the foundation. When Ye and Ty Dolla just play back the actor’s soundbite with pre-programmed drums, their creative output becomes a little stale. “Hoodrat,” which combines some calming vocals with an unorganized beat and a tedious chorus that shouts, “Hoodrat, hoodrat, hoodrat,” is another song with unlistenable lyrics. After listening to the first few tracks, fans started buying more Kanye stock, but that is when the album really started to fall apart.
The excitement and lyrical quality of this album should have been immediately apparent from the first listen to the title track, “Vultures,” which features Bump J and Lil Durk. The music itself isn’t that horrible; in fact, it sounds better in 2024 than it did in 2023 when it was first released. Heads will nod in response to the powerful synths, pounding drums, and rhythm switch, especially at loud volumes. However, Kanye sings lines like, “How am I antisemitic? The phrase “I just fucked a Jewish bitch” appears multiple times throughout the album. particularly on “Problematic,” when he looks back on the previous year and significant changes. The statement “It’s a preference, not a racism” says all you need to know.
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