Kanye West to retire from music
There’s no denying that Kanye West is one of the most defining figures in music. However, with his descent into alt-right politics and his constant sharing of questionable or downright offensive views, both on social media and in his music, has led to a lot of fans losing interest and stop following his career. Now, it could be that his career is coming to an end altogether.
In February, West released Vultures 1 in collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign, under the moniker ¥$. It was an extensive 16 track project with features from Travis Scott, Playboy Carti, Quavo, Freddie Gibbs and a long list of other nights. It even featured West’s daughter, North West, who made her musical debut on ‘Talking / Once Again’.
However, much like all of West’s latest records, the release was a messy process with little to no clear marketing or plan. His label, Universal Music, stated that they were no longer working with the artist, with West claiming they were trying to cancel him. When the album was set for release, originally on January 12th, 2024, it went through a series of date changes and delays, leaving fans in the dark.
The roll-out didn’t go smoothly when it finally arrived on February 10th, 2024, through West’s independent YZY brand. The album didn’t land on Spotify immediately, requiring him to re-release the record to hit all platforms.
With a disorganised release, the album itself reflected that mindset as it was criticised for being repetitive or too self-obsessed. As with all of his recent releases, West received further criticism for his controversial lyricism, further pushing his fanbase away.
Originally, Vultures 1 was set to be the first in a three-album series. However, texts that collaborator Rich The Kid shared on social media seem to suggest that they might be on the scrap heap.
“I am retiring from professional music. Not sure what else to do,” West wrote to the rapper. With a tone of defeat and upset, it’s unsure what prompted these messages, but is clear that West is at a crisis point with his musical career.
In response, Rich The Kid pleaded with West to reconsider and to keep making music. “The ppl NEED you,” he wrote back. He added, “The music you & Ty have made was the BIGGEST cultural stamp to this date”, talking about the Vultures project and perhaps the next two releases if they’ve been made.
Originally, Vultures 2 and Vultures 3 were supposed to be released on March 8th and April 5th, 2024, respectively. But with no word on when the next instalment might come, and now this insight into West’s mindset, maybe this is the end?