Vultures 2
Vultures 2 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 3, 2024 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:21 | |||
Label | YZY | |||
Producer |
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¥$ chronology | ||||
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Kanye West chronology | ||||
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Ty Dolla Sign chronology | ||||
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Singles from Vultures 2 | ||||
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Vultures 2 is the second studio album by the American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of the rapper Kanye West and the singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was surprise released independently by the former's YZY brand on August 3, 2024. Guest appearances include West's daughters North and Chicago, Ty Dolla Sign's brother Jabreal "Big TC" Muhammad, Don Toliver, Playboi Carti, Kodak Black, Future, Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Desiigner, 070 Shake and CyHi. Production was primarily handled by Ye and Dolla, alongside the Legendary Traxster, 30 Roc, 88-Keys, ATL Jacob, Timbaland, Ojivolta, FnZ, James Blake, Wheezy, and others.
Background and development
On January 23, 2024, West revealed that a Vultures series would be released as a trilogy, with the first being released in February, the second on March 8, and the final on April 5.[1] Vultures 1, first part of the album, released on February 10, had a slight delay and went on to reach number one on the Billboard 200 as well as in numerous other countries.[2] On February 25, Timbaland, who also worked on Vultures 1, announced that the second installment was "on the way".[3] On March 3, French Montana announced his involvement and shared a clip of him and the duo in the recording studio.[4] After the album had not come out on its scheduled release date of March 8, West announced that Vultures 2 was still in the works as he and Ty Dolla Sign were still "in the lab".[5][6] West and Ty Dolla Sign held a private listening party on the scheduled date with a DJ setting, where the rapper was joined by his partner Bianca Censori.[7]
On March 10, in a conversation with a Kanye West fan page, West mentioned that he would be selling Vultures 2 on the Yeezy website for $20 instead of releasing it on streaming platforms like Vultures 1.[8] He stated this decision was made so "We won't have the streaming companies in control of the artist anymore".[9] On March 14, 1-minute previews of the Vultures 2 tracks were released on TikTok and Instagram under West's account.[10] West and Ty Dolla Sign later announced a new release date of May 3 in an interview with Justin LaBoy on his The Download podcast. Rolling Stone also confirmed the track "Let Me Chill Out" featuring the late rapper Takeoff.[11] Despite the announcement, the album did not release on May 3.[12]
Ty Dolla Sign appeared on the cover of the Billboard June 22, 2024, issue.[13] Ty Dolla Sign played the interviewee a couple of the album's tracks, hinting at the release of the album in the upcoming days: "We got all the songs. Basically, it’s just like, 'How can we get it there? How can we go bigger than the first album?'".[13]
On July 6, Ty Dolla Sign posted an official announcement of a listening event scheduled for August 23 in South Korea on Instagram.[14] In the same week, West claimed he retired from professional music via fellow collaborator Rich the Kid's Instagram story. This retirement lasted roughly 30 minutes before a track with rapper Consequence titled "No Apologies" was announced to release on July 12.[15] On July 30, West announced through his website that all orders of the album had been fulfilled and shipped out, and that the album would release on August 2, 2024. However, hours later, the release date was removed from his website; the album released on August 3, 2024.[16][17]
On August 2, the lead single for Vultures 2, titled "Slide" released on West's Yeezy website alongside streaming services with an updated cover art for the album. [18][19][20]
Vultures 2 was released to streaming services independently through West's YZY brand on August 3, 2024. The album was released on an unlisted YouTube livestream on West's YouTube channel, and on Tidal.[21] The album was later released on Spotify and Apple Music.[22]
Post-release reaction
Fans criticized West of releasing Vultures 2 in an unfinished state with rushed mixes, unfinished vocals on songs such as "530",[23] as well the apparent use of artificial intelligence on the project, mainly on the song "Sky City".[24] A few hours after the release of the album, West announced via the yeezy.com website that "updated songs will be published in real time", similarly to how The Life of Pablo received updates to its mix after its initial release.[25]
Cover art
On March 9, West announced the album and revealed its original artwork through his Twitter account.[26] The cover features a masked Ty Dolla Sign dressed in all black holding an image of his brother, Jabreal "Big TC" Muhammad, who is currently serving a life sentence for a murder the brothers claim he did not commit.[27]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Slide" |
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| 3:17 |
2. | "Time Moving Slow" |
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| 2:40 |
3. | "Field Trip" (with Playboi Carti featuring Don Toliver and Kodak Black) |
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| 2:47 |
4. | "Fried" |
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| 2:59 |
5. | "Isabella" | 0:09 | ||
6. | "Promotion" (with Future) |
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| 2:39 |
7. | "Husband" |
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| 2:18 |
8. | "Lifestyle" (with Lil Wayne) |
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| 5:31 |
9. | "Forever" |
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| 1:27 |
10. | "Bomb" (with North West and Chicago West) |
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| 2:32 |
11. | "River" (with Young Thug) |
|
| 4:07 |
12. | "530" |
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| 4:50 |
13. | "Dead" (with Future and Lil Durk) |
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| 4:23 |
14. | "Forever Rolling" (with Lil Baby) |
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| 3:17 |
15. | "Sky City" (with Desiigner and 070 Shake featuring CyHi) |
| 3:51 | |
16. | "My Soul" (featuring Big TC) |
| 3:45 | |
Total length: | 50:26 |
Track notes
- "Time Moving Slow" "Fried" and "River" feature additional vocals from Curva Nord Milano ultras.
- "River" features additional vocals from Charlie Wilson.
Sample credits
- "Field Trip" contains samples of "Machine Gun", as performed by Portishead.
- "River" contains samples of "River", as performed by Leon Bridges.
- "530" contains samples of "Break the Fall (Acoustic)", as performed by Swsh.
- "Sky City" contains an interpolation of "O-o-h Child", as performed by Five Stairsteps.
- "Lifestyle" contains samples of "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin.
References
- ^ Trapp, Malcolm (January 23, 2024). "Kanye West Reveals Vultures Will Be Dropping In Three Volumes In Unsettling New Trailer". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Coleman II, C. Vernon (March 8, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's Vultures 2 didn't drop". XXL. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Ocho, Alex (February 26, 2024). "Timbaland Says Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's Vultures 2 Is on the Way". Complex. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Mendez, Marisa (March 4, 2024). "French Montana captures making of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's Vultures 2". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Walker, Joe (March 8, 2024). "Kanye West gives update on Vultures 2 as album fails to drop". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Rossignol, Derrick (March 8, 2024). "Professional Deadline Misser Kanye West Has Not Yet Released 'Vultures 2' But Supposedly Offered An Explanation". Uproxx. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (March 9, 2024). "Kanye West & Bianca Censori Show 'Vultures' Listening Party Some Lewd PDA". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Setaro, Shawn (March 10, 2024). "Kanye West Debates Not Putting 'Vultures 2' On Streaming Services". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Setaro, Shawn (March 10, 2024). "Kanye West Debates Not Putting 'Vultures 2' On Streaming Services". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Hynes, Hayley (March 14, 2024). ""Vultures 2" Tracks Appear On TikTok & Instagram As Fans Await Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign's Album". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Garcia, Thania (April 24, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's 'Vultures 2' to Include Posthumous Feature From Takeoff". Variety. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Andrews, Elias (May 3, 2024). "Kanye West Failed To Drop "Vultures 2" And Fans Are Not Happy". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Scott, Damien (June 20, 2024). "The 'Master': How Ty Dolla $ign Changed R&B and Hip-Hop — and Got Ye to Finish 'Vultures 1'". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (July 8, 2024). "Ye & Ty Dolla $ign Are Bringing the 'Vultures' Listening Experience to Korea". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Kanye West & Consequence Refuse To Back Down On New Collab 'No Apologies'". HipHopDX. July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (July 31, 2024). "Ye Reveals — and Deletes — Third Release Date for 'Vultures 2'". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ II, C. Vernon Coleman IIC Vernon Coleman (July 31, 2024). "Ye Announces Vultures 2 Album Release Date, But Will It Really Drop?". XXL Mag. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Caraan, Sophie (August 3, 2024). "Ye and Ty Dolla $ign Drop 'VULTURES 2' Single "SLIDE"". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Andrews, Elias (August 3, 2024). "Kanye West And Ty Dolla Sign Drop "SLIDE" As First "VULTURES 2" Single". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (August 3, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign Drop New Single 'Slide,' Suggesting Potential Release of 'Vultures 2'". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ William Cowen, Trace (August 3, 2024). "Ye and Ty Dolla Sign Drop Second Volume of 'Vultures' Album Series". Complex. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Rigotti, Alex (August 3, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's 'VULTURES 2' has now dropped – here's how people are reacting". NME. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Horvath, Zachary (August 3, 2024). "Kanye West Disses Drake By Name & Kim Kardashian Subliminally On "VULTURES 2"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Rigotti, Alex (August 3, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's 'VULTURES 2' has now dropped – here's how people are reacting". NME. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Blake, Cole (August 3, 2024). "Kanye West Confirms "Vultures 2" Songs Will Be Updated In Real Time". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Sam (March 9, 2024). "Kanye West Unveils Vultures 2 Cover as Album Misses Release Date". That Grape Juice. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Giacomazzo, Bernadette (March 10, 2024). "Ty Dolla $ign Reveals Two Mysteries About 'Vultures 2' Cover Art". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 10, 2024.