Kanye West Dons Black KKK Mask During ‘Vultures’ Listening Event

Armon Sadler
·2 min read
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There are very few people who can command the news cycle like Kanye West when it comes time to release an album. The Chicago producer linked up with Ty Dolla $ign in Miami to debut their collaborative album Vultures, and naturally, it came with some controversy and chaos.

Under the name ¥$, the duo played the project early Tuesday morning (Dec. 12) at the Vultures Rave in Wynwood Marketplace. The event was set to begin at midnight but ended up getting started two hours later. Always the man to make a statement that polarizes the people, the Donda artist showed up wearing a Black KKK mask similar to the one seen in his “Black Skinhead” video from 2013.

West and $ign were joined by artists featured on the album, namely Chris Brown, Offset, Freddie Gibbs, Kodak Black, Bump J, and Lil Durk. Attendees were treated to an endearing moment as Ye’s 10-year-old daughter, North West, was present and rapped along to her verse on the track “Slide.”

In true Kanye West fashion, a lot of the project sounded incomplete, with low-quality versions of songs and snippets being played from his iPhone. Fans will be happy to know that “New Body” featuring Nicki Minaj, a record that has been teased for years, will seemingly find a home on Vultures. Currently, the project is slated to release this upcoming Friday (Dec. 15) and so far they have released two versions of the single “Vultures,” one with Bump J and Lil Durk, and one that omits Durk’s contribution.

Vultures will be the “Good Life” artist’s first release since the August 2021 LP Donda. The 27-track album featured Jay-Z, The Weeknd, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, and many more. The project was nominated for four Grammys and he ended up taking home two for Best Rap Song (“Jail”) and Best Melodic Rap Performance (“Hurricane”).

As for Ty Dolla $ign, it will be his first solo effort since his October 2020 LP Featuring Ty Dolla $ign. In the interim, he linked up with DVSN in August 2021 for the collaborative project Cheers To The Best Memories. Listen to the self-titled lead single for Vultures below.

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