The first 10 years of Kanye West‘s career were damn-near perfect, weren’t they? From his debut 2004 masterpiece The College Dropout — which just turned 20 — up until the release of his genre-bending album Yeezus in 2013, Kanye was truly at the height of his powers. But even during the run of interviews to promote Yeezus, Kanye seemed to carry a hectic demeanor that only seemed to inflate as the years went on.
After everything that’s happened to Ye in recent years, what can best be described as the “beginning of the end” for his artistic dominance came only a few years after his Yeezus Tour had concluded. Sure, 2016’s The Life of Pablo had some great musical moments, solid rapping and songs that have since stood the test of time, but the clumsy and chaotic creation of the album devalued its overall legacy — setting Kanye West on a path that has seen the same thing happen to his career.
Since 2016, Kanye has released four “studio” albums that have each gotten progressively messier in design, execution, and straight up output. Now, thanks to constantly butting heads with the media and his hurtful statements about Jewish people, which resulted in a year-long hiatus in 2023, Kanye’s stock has never been lower. But if someone loves a comeback, it’s Mr. West.
Enter: Vultures 1. The first instalment in Ye and Ty Dolla $ign‘s three-part album extravaganza. The first question on everyone’s mind when this project was announced in late 2023 was: “Why Ty Dolla $ign?” Obviously, a deep understanding for musicality and a love of building great songs runs concurrently through both Ye and Ty, however it remains a mystery how and why Ty jumped on-board Kanye’s sinking ship.
Throughout his career, Dolla $ign has been calculated and well-intentioned with his albums and collaborators which begs the question why he would willingly decide to step into one of Kanye’s weird, and sometimes wonderful, album rollouts. Nevertheless, he did.
After a few hap-hazard release events and multiple album pushbacks, the 16-track album finally arrived late on Friday (February 11). Upon first listening, it’s tough to determine whether the album is stirring or it’s just exciting to finally see it on streaming services. It opens with the slow-building, gospel-laden intro track “Stars” where Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign sound peaceful yet confident.
More of the same hat-in-hand tranquility rolls through on second track “Keys To My Life,” while “Paid” and “Talking” turn the energy up a notch (thanks to upbeat pulsating drums) but stay levelheaded. After a quarter of the way through, the album does a great job at disguising Ye’s past year of turmoil to the point where these songs could have been suitable Donda reference tracks.
“Back To Me” is where things get a little strange, not necessarily for Kanye, but by listeners’ standards. Anchored by Jay’s (of Jay & Silent Bob fame) iconic line: “Beautiful, naked, big-titty womеn just don’t fall out the sky, you know?” Ye and Ty Dolla’s creative output gets a little mundane when they simply repeat the actor’s soundbite with some programmed drums underneath.
More lackluster songwriting rears its unlistenable head on “Hoodrat” which pairs some soothing vocals with a messy beat and monotonous chorus that chants: “Hoodrat, hoodrat, hoodrat.” From there, the album starts to unravel and all the re-purchasing of Kanye stock that fans did after hearing the first few songs have been sold.
What should have been the tell-tale sign of this album’s energy and lyrical content is the title track “Vultures” featuring Bump J and Lil Durk. The song itself really isn’t too bad and sounds better in 2024 than it did when it dropped in 2023. The heavy synths, knocking drums and beat switch will get heads bopping – especially at any high volume. But Kanye drops lyrics like, “How I’m antisemitic? I just fucked a Jewish bitch,” which is a subject touched upon throughout the album. Especially on “Problematic” where he recaps his last year and some change. “I’m not racist, it’s a preference” tells you everything you need to know.
Kanye West would hate to hear this but the best song on Vultures 1 is when he sounds most like “old Kanye.” “Burn” is the happiest and most upbeat song on the album, with Ty skating all over the breezy beat and Ye delivering his best bars by far.
“Who’s not entertained by my pain?/ Who ain’t cash a check off my name?/ When my campaign turned to canned pain/ I burned еight billion to take off my chains” is classic Kanye songwriting, plus he does a great job harmonizing the final chorus with Ty. It only lasts two minutes but it’s enough to give fans and critics alike hope for the next two installments.
There are few other highs on the album; it isn’t all “death con 3” valleys. Freddie Gibbs‘ verse on “Back To Me” is fierce, the sheer energy and Ty Dolla $ign’s crooning on “Fuk Sumn” is standout and even the vintage groove of “Good (Don’t Die)” warrants adding it to your playlist favorites.
All in all, Vultures 1 doesn’t move the needle for Kanye West — or Ty Dolla $ign, for that matter. Listeners, fans, haters and hopefuls will be in the same place they were before the album dropped: confused, disappointed, but holding onto the idea that the Kanye we all fell in love with can still deliver undeniably good music that is worth defending.
RELEASE DATE: February 9, 2024
RECORD LABEL: YZY
Listen to Vultures 1 below:
Lol. No no no no.
This project had one good track, Back To Me. The rest is just 🗑️, made by a true 🤡
just what I expected. Carry on!!!
Ur a backstreet boy just stfu white boy
Doesn’t matter what color he is, this album is a piece of 💩
Ur right colour has nothing to do with it im sorry
yesterday’s💩tomorrow👉🗑👈MEANS SAME SH!T DIFFERENT DAY🥱0/100
“ however it remains a mystery how and why Ty jumped on-board Kanye’s sinking ship…”
Bruh. The album is doing numbers. And since you’re Canadian, there’s an automatic bias off the top of this review..
😷
doing numbers lmao your father failed you that you need kanye to succeed so much that you dream up and promote fantasy land take lmao smh is right
Album isn’t even #1 on ITunes lol. Yeah it’s doing crazy numbers, sure sure
Wack
This guy is talking like Donda and TLOP were trash. What a clown. He also picked one of the worst songs as an example of the “old kanye” when it sounds nothing like the old kanye and is possibly the worst song on the album. Decent album that is growing on me as I listen. Some duds on there foe sure, but better then this dude is saying. People let politics and antics cloud their judgment way too much. Giving it a because we can’t give half stars here.
YESJULZ has bean bag dimple butt FWIW
Donda was trash. Only a mute or a Ye fanboy would say otherwise
Has nothing to do with his reputation or anything. Has everything to do with his decline in quality tracks over the decades. Same reason Em did so poorly with Revival. It was very bad music.
Fucking OUTSTANDING! 5/5!!
GO GO GO GO!
Fuckin’ OUTSTANDING! 5/5!!
GO GO GO GO!
Lol
Fucking ridicilous, beautiful, big-bravadoed GENIUS album!
GO GO GO GO!
NO RESPONSE TO NEGATIVITY JUST NUMBERS, PAID.
#1
🤡
12 listens in. This is a Top 3 Ye album EASY! Production is a 10. Ty vocals 10. Feature placements 10. So far this album is flawless to me. Carnival will be the song of 2024 EASY!
T03 LMAO
Leica fan boy listened to this 12x mf fatherless virgin
12 listens in. This is a Top 3 Ye album EASY! Production is a 10. Ty vocals 10. Feature placements 10. So far this album is flawless to me. Carnival will be the song of 2024 EASY!
5/5 album the rest of the commentary was dry hatin. “Kanye sucks (5 songs were incredible!)…but… KANYE!”
5/5 album the rest of the commentary was dry hatin. “Kanye sucks (5 songs were incredible!)…but… KANYE!”
5/5 album the rest of the commentary was dry hatin. “Kanye sucks (5 songs were incredible!)…but… KANYE!”
Album is dog shit, stop lying
Its clear that you are a Ye hater
Its clear that you are a Ye hater
Nah man. This is his worst album in years which is impressive since he’s put out duds the last 5 years
na zi shit for fuckheads
4.5/5
Kanye did his thing on this album.
The album would have been a 5/5, but it’s full of some wierd choices and fillers, but that Burn track gives me hope for the next two. Kind of 3.5 – 4.
This review sounds like a whole lot of hating going on! Leave aside any outside emotions felt towards the artist and critique the art and you have a very good album. This is Kanye’s best album in a long time and it’s better than a 3/5!
I’m impressed with what I’m listening too. I liked Donda but feel this is better. West and Ty have good chemistry. Gibbs verse is fire.
Ignore his antics outside the studio and enjoy the album. It’s fire!!!
I feel Kanye doesn’t make Rap music, it’s more Genre bending, he’s been doing albums like this for a while. So creative. The music industry needs people like him, he’s an innovator
Trash. He disrespected Jesus Christ by calling himself the new Jesus and is degrading his wife in the cover. Cancel him.
Cry incel 😢
I doubt a “true Christian” would be frequenting a website like this😂
Pathetic review ..hang it up my boy
Put some clothes on your wife.
Put some clothes on your wife.
separate the artist from the art, the album is fire 4/5
I wonder if the entire staff agrees with this reviewer’s perspective.
Kanye has done a lot for the genre, he’s still trying new things, albums are still enjoyable even if they don’t reach the same highs for the same audience as his earlier work.
The tone of this album was a little more fun than Donda.
Good album.
Washed up
This is one of the freshest albums I’ve heard in a long time. The album causes a visceral reaction. I don’t agree with your review at all.
Ye is right about the small hats.
What is this dog sh t ? The best part of this album was when it ended
Fantastic album. Agendas getting cooked by the charts. Cope and seethe.
I agree with the reviewer and I haven’t been able to finish the album yet. There are two eras for Kanye: up to and including MBDTF, and after. Yeezus straddles the line and we only like it as much as we do now because of all the trash that came after. Listening to these songs, I’m like man…can Mr. West please go back to writing his rhymes? Every verse is just off the dome, with no structure, full of adlibs, full of meandering and misdirection. There’s no narrative there’s no end goal. It’s such a pain because I think the production is my favorite since MBDTF. He ruined Father Stretch My Hands with trash lyrics and he’s it again with Paid. Hearing Freddie Gibbs just shows you what a REAL rapper could do on these beats, hell give it to Killer Mike. Anyway, all albums post Yeezus have been kind-of to certified trash (including Pablo) and it’s because the verses & message no longer hold up to the beats. A SHAME!
I agree with the reviewer and I haven’t been able to finish the album yet. There are two eras for Kanye: up to and including MBDTF, and after. Yeezus straddles the line and we only like it as much as we do now because of all the trash that came after. Listening to these songs, I’m like man…can Mr. West please go back to writing his rhymes? Every verse is just off the dome, with no structure, full of adlibs, full of meandering and misdirection. There’s no narrative there’s no end goal. It’s such a pain because I think the production is my favorite since MBDTF. He ruined Father Stretch My Hands with trash lyrics and he’s it again with Paid. Hearing Freddie Gibbs just shows you what a REAL rapper could do on these beats, hell give it to Killer Mike. Anyway, all albums post Yeezus have been kind-of to certified trash (including Pablo) and it’s because the verses & message no longer hold up to the beats. A SHAME!
Well said. Probably the most accurate review of the album.
I’m going to point something out that most people are missing. This a joint album. Not a Kanye solo project. Just saying. Review as a joint project. People aren’t giving Ty much credit. Best I’ve heard him in a long time. Great features, work well on the project. Beats are fire and so Kanye…. Can’t wait for the Second and Third instalments
YESJULZ HAS A BEAN BAG DIMPLE BUTT
Fuck Kanye ese!
Once they start mentioning politics and public persona u already know the review won’t be good lol.
Ye right about the small hats thou
Péssima revisão. Não é cansativo pra vocês serem sempre mesquinhos e lambe botas.
É um álbum de RAP e no RAP a batida também conta e a produção está excelente e quando é que vocês amantes de quem vos obriga a chupar importam-se com as líricas. Vocês foram pobres nisso, como querem que alguém cante e soe o mesmo por 20 anos irmãos…
ISSO É YE NÃO DRAKE OU OS MINI RAPPERS QUE TÊM DE LAMBER PRA COMEREM ALGO.
Péssima revisão. Não é cansativo pra vocês serem sempre mesquinhos e lambe botas.
É um álbum de RAP e no RAP a batida também conta e a produção está excelente e quando é que vocês amantes de quem vos obriga a chupar importam-se com as líricas. Vocês foram pobres nisso, como querem que alguém cante e soe o mesmo por 20 anos irmãos…
ISSO É YE NÃO DRAKE OU OS MINI RAPPERS QUE TÊM DE LAMBER PRA COMEREM ALGO.
Giving it a 5 cause the haters are corny. Hoodrat, Do It, Burn, Vultures, and King are all on the playlist. Not bad for a mainstream rap album. Most mainstream rap albums get 0 on the playlist
Fire
Dope
Dope
Sorry but this album is a classic! a 5
Mics in the Source type of album. The duo of Kanye and Ty Dolla are like peanut butter and jam and I’m hoping there is more from these two in the future.
Not sure why Freddie Gibbs not listed on “Back to me” which is the best track on the album
Ye back to doing what he do best – making music.
Sorry but this album is a classic! a 5
Mics in the Source type of album. The duo of Kanye and Ty Dolla are like peanut butter and jam and I’m hoping there is more from these two in the future.
Not sure why Freddie Gibbs not listed on “Back to me” which is the best track on the album
Ye back to doing what he do best – making music.
I just found out the team behind this website is in Canada, which explains a lot. Their review of Nas’s album and now slapping Kanye with a 3/5? Come on, it’s like they’re reviewing maple syrup instead of music. Your take on Kanye’s album screams bias louder than his tweets. Maybe next time, leave the personal vendettas at the door and actually listen to the album—it’s fire!
I just found out the team behind this website is in Canada, which explains a lot. Their review of Nas’s album and now slapping Kanye with a 3/5? Come on, it’s like they’re reviewing maple syrup instead of music. Your take on Kanye’s album screams bias louder than his tweets. Maybe next time, leave the personal vendettas at the door and actually listen to the album—it’s fire!
Album debut number 1 on billboard solo is absolutely huge it’s no doubt a success is Drake dropped a independent album it wouldn’t do much more than 140 k first week make no mistake about it
Bro how stupid are you to say that Ty dollars first number 1 album doesn’t move the needle for him. Your ye hate is so stupid it makes u look like a fool u say Kanye took a year hiatus yet u weirdos wrote about him multiple times every single damn day it’s pathetic