“Kanye West doesn’t keep anyone waiting. Fans experienced the direct premiere of his long-anticipated collaborative album ‘Vultures’ with Ty Dolla Sign, known as ¥$, just a day after premiering their guerrilla-style project ‘KATS’ at a Jamaican restaurant in Miami. Approximately two hours later, after struggling to connect West’s phone to the audio system by stagehands, West and Ty finally emerged into the headlines in the Wynwood MarketPlace in the same city, where the start time was promised to be midnight.
About two and a half hours later, after struggling to connect West’s phone to the audio system by stagehands, West and Ty finally emerged into the headlines in the Wynwood MarketPlace in the same city, where the start time was promised to be midnight.
For the spectators present at home, they witnessed all of this in real-time as there was a glitch in the YouTube stream, and the broadcast was restarted several times before the actual performance. The ticket prices for the attendees were $200 for general admission, $600 for VIP, and $10,000 for a table.”
“Fans and those present at home were treated to nearly 10 songs from the project that is set to release this Friday. To provide a complete experience, both artists tapped into a lineup of star guests on stage, including Chris Brown, Offset, Kodak Black, Lil Durk, Bump J, Freddie Gibbs, and West’s daughter North, among other artists. (Those hoping for the presence of Playboi Carti were disappointed, as he was on a plane that did not arrive on time.)
What fans experienced was a rapid preview of low-quality and incomplete snippets that were recently leaked. Western fans were likely familiar with the early track ‘Everybody,’ which he previewed on social media last week and served as a launchpad for the back-to-back rendition of Backstreet Boys’ 1997 hit ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).’ Instead of sampling from the boy band, the song features a reimagined chorus by Charlie Wilson, who harmonizes with West, Ty, and Lil Baby on the track.”
“North West got a chance to shine on ‘Slide,’ where she tests her rap skills alongside her father and Ty Dolla $ign on a James Blake sample. ‘This is gonna be messed up, just give me grace, give me grace / This your bestie, Miss Westie,’ she raps. North West wasn’t the only one among West’s children present, as Kim Kardashian stood with her children and approved the performance before the show. (Viewers on social media caught sight of Saint doing the ‘In My Feelings’ dance.)
‘Vultures’ is an album that features an audio throughline, with plucking synth bass notes and serpent-like pacing. West and Ty leave plenty of room for featured artists, with Nicki Minaj contributing a verse to the highly anticipated sampled version of ‘New Body,’ while Gibbs delivers a show-stopping guest turn on ‘Back to Me,’ produced by 88-Keys, a longtime West collaborator. In the second half, they take a sample from the film ‘Dogma’ where co-star Jason Mewes says, ‘Beautiful women with big t***ies don’t just fall out of the sky, you know,’ a sentiment echoed by West throughout the performance.”
“The vibe is upbeat on ‘Paids’ in domestic music, while Brown envelops most places on ‘Beg Forgiveness.’ ‘River’ pays tribute to Young Thug, currently on trial, and features on the track, and Ty cleans up with the release of the song named after him in the Leo Bridges.
Controversy is nothing new for West, who has previously faced criticism for a line in ‘Birds,’ where he says, ‘I just f*ed a Jewish b**. I’m on my way to going to hell.’ He came under fire for a series of anti-Semitic comments last year and doesn’t shy away from controversy. As soon as the song played, West lit a bonfire, wearing a black Klansman hood, and paused at the end of the song, looking towards the audience.
While the performance was less and the antics more, it suddenly came to an end in Miami as the clock struck 3 AM. The venue shut off the speakers, and for a final listening, West repeated a line from ‘Birds’ on the mic. As the crowd dispersed, West also exited through the crowd, seeming pleased with himself.”