Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign send out messages after 'VULTURES 1' tops 'Billboard' 200

On Sunday (Feb. 18), Billboard reported that Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign‘s VULTURES 1 album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with an accumulated 148,000 album-equivalent units. That figure includes 167.78 million on-demand official streams and 18,000 traditional album sales.

“It’s a beautiful time,” Kanye responded in a statement to Complex. Meanwhile, Ty Dolla Sign hopped on his Instagram Stories with a short (and largely silent) message to his detractors.

What makes the achievement notable is the fact that VULTURES 1 was repeatedly taken down from streaming platforms during its first week out. As REVOLT previously reported, the estate of late singer Donna Summer claimed that West interpolated one of her songs for “GOOD (DON’T DIE).” “Kanye West asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song ‘I Feel Love.’ He was denied,” read a message from Summer’s official Instagram account. “He changed the words, had someone re-sing it, or used AI, but it’s ‘I Feel Love.’ Copyright infringement!”

Another artist, Ozzy Osbourne, took to Twitter to complain about a similar issue. “Kanye West asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘Iron Man’ from the US Festival without vocals and was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many,” the rock legend wrote. “He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!”

VULTURES 1 consists of 16 songs with a wealth of features from Quavo, Freddie Gibbs, YG, Playboi Carti, Lil Durk, Chris Brown, Mike Tyson and more. A song from the album’s original tracklist, “New Body,” was removed after featured artist Nicki Minaj took issue with its age. “Regarding Kanye, that train has left the station, okay? No disrespect in any way,” the Young Money talent said in a livestream. “Why would I put out a song that’s been out for three years? Come on, guys.”

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