Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign have decided to exclusively release VULTURES 2 on Yeezy.com — at least at first.
According to conversations with @yefanatics and @dondatimes on Instagram, Ye and company are planning to release the second edition of VULTURES much like how DONDA 2 was shared in 2022. While most fans took to social to express their disdain, but Ye sees the bigger picture — and problem he’s trying to solve.
Stemming from comments made by James Blake about the current state of the streaming era, Ye is offering a solution: Prioritizing his music by selling it as a motion picture. “Like James Blake said, streaming devalues our music. We sell albums on Yeezy.com,” he told Ye told @yefanatics. “How do you feel about us not streaming and only selling the album digitally.” He elaborated in another message: “Selling it first… movies go to theaters first then to streaming.”
Comments like “We in the lab” and “We making final tweaks” points to the album still being unfinished. It was originally slated for release on March 8. Its reported release is tentatively scheduled for May 3, following an interview with Big Boy TV and ¥$ Rolling Loud Vultures set (March 14). The date was accidentally leaked by Ye himself, speaking with a Baby Keem fan account on IG which he mistook for Keem himself. “Should we do Praise God 2mrw?”, Ye asks in one of the messages.
Ty Dolla Sign revealed that he is the one pictured on the VULTURES 2 cover holding a portrait of his brother Jabreal Muhammad (“Big TC”). He is currently incarcerated on a life sentence for a crime he says he did not commit.
A Los Angeles listening event on March 9 brought forth new cuts and revitalized previously heard tracks, verses etc., including “RIVER” with Young Thug and “VENOM / FIELD TRIP” with Playboi Carti. Another listening event was held on March 10 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, as ¥$ Rolling Loud only saw V1 cuts be played. Songs from VULTURES 1 and 2 should be played. “We playing BOTH tonight and SLIDE,” Ye said.
VULTURES 1 debuted atop the Billboard 200 in February, selling 148K first-week units and earned Ye his 11th No. 1 album of his career. It became Ty Dolla Sign’s first career No. 1 record. The album’s hit single “CARNIVAL” is also streaking for a No. 1 berth on the Billboard Hot 100 — becoming the most popular sound on TikTok in a matter of weeks.
This story will be updated.