An unreleased Jay-Z and Kanye West song has leaked online
Over a decade after it was first recorded, a collaboration between Kanye West and Jay-Z, titled ‘Building’, has leaked online.
The track comes from the recording sessions for West’s third studio record, Graduation, which was released in 2007. The album spawned some of the rapper’s most wellknown hits and featured some huge names, including Lil Wayne and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, but Jay-Z’s name didn’t appear on the tracklisting.
It seems that Jay-Z and Kanye did have a collaboration in the works for his 2007 record, but it was cut from the final album. 17 years later, the song has appeared online, providing Graduation fans with a welcome dose of nostalgia.
Over a subtle beat and clean keys, Jay-Z kicks off the song with a verse that references some huge names including Donald Trump, Stella McCartney, and Fidel Castro. “Million dollar Jay-Z, they crazy for lightweight feeling em,” he raps, “Now I come through heavy and I’m crushing the building.”
The phrase “crushing the building” bleeds into Kanye’s verse, too, which details unexpected bills, moves to Newark, and Snoop videos. “First time in New York and it start to snow, and I couldn’t catch a cab so I caught a cold,” he raps, “As I caught a glimpse of my future, I got that feeling, knowing one day I’m gonna crush these buildings.”
The reasoning behind Kanye and Jay-Z’s decision to exempt ‘Building’ from the final cut of Graduation has not been revealed, leaving fans to speculate.
The full track leaked online on July 31st, just one day after Kanye announced the release of his second project with supergroup ¥$. The duo, comprised of Kanye and Ty Dolla Sign, unveiled their debut album, Vultures 1, earlier this year, which included features from the likes of JPEGMafia, Playboi Carti and Freddie Gibbs.
A follow-up album, titled Vultures 2, was initially scheduled for March, but has the project has since been subject to delays. However, an announcement released on the rapper’s website stated that Vultures 2, would be released on August 2nd. This announcement has since been removed from his website. Now, it only features a notice that states, “All orders fulfilled,” in all caps.
This has left fans wondering if Vultures 2 will really arrive on August 2nd. Whether Kanye sticks to the announced release date or not, only time will tell. For now, you can listen to the leaked collaboration between Kanye and Jay-Z, ‘Building’, below.