VJust as it is assumed that every Kanye West album must be released, the arrival of ‘Ulchers 1’ has been delayed, muddy and even more controversial, although the latter is now a self-inflicted evil. A smoldering pile of emotions left West without a record label and an estimated $1.5 billion in poverty. According to a now-deleted Instagram post, Adidas has severed ties with him and venues have blacklisted him, making him unable to book tours. It’s all because of anti-Semitic comments.
In fact, controversy and tardiness seem to go hand in hand this time. Vultures’ supporting cast list highlights that there are still plenty of big names who would be happy to be associated with him, from Playboi Carti and Travis Scott to producers Timbaland and James Blake. At least part of the album was not included in any of the planned releases. This date appears to be related to other artists refusing to grant permission for guest appearances or samples. If Nicki Minaj’s reluctance to include her feature track on the album was due to the fact that it was “three years old,” Ozzy Osbourne’s reluctance to include it on the album There was little doubt as to why they did not, she said. “[He’s] You’re a rude anti-Semite,” offered Sharon, his manager and wife. “He fucked the wrong Jew this time… The motherfucker is a pig.”
So, as usual, the actual music is hard to hear over the accompanying noise, but listen closely and you’ll hear that this is an improved version of 2021’s Donda. It’s still uneven, and at times it makes you wonder what Vultures volumes 2 and 3 will sound like. If his big comeback finds room for songs like the limp title track and Hood Rat, based on his first work, I wonder what the price tag will be for that content. A pleasantly chaotic and relentless sample where you are allowed to ramble far beyond your limits? West has some hopelessly wimpy verses – if you like wimpy rhymes full of unfunny puns, Vultures is the album for you – and his lyrical benchmark is that of the Indiana MC. It’s highlighted by a very nimble guest verse from Freddie Gibbs. On “Back to Me,” he raps, “I’ve been a bird bitch to my ex like I was Elon,” with a clear hint that “this is how it’s done.”
But this film is often hampered by better ideas than its bloated, unfocused predecessor, starting with the presence of Ty Dolla $ign. He’s a much better vocalist than West. Those who went to Glastonbury may recall West’s nerve-wracking attempt to sing. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody without Autotune – and hops around stylistically, from the distorted abstractions of Paperwork to the melodically rich, hook-filled Byrne, a throwback to the style that made West famous in the first place. A unified presence within the album.
The track’s presence, which could theoretically appear on West’s debut album, underscores the intermittent flickers of emotion throughout Vultures. Its musical highlights are often underpinned by the sense that what Kanye West wants more than anything right now is the kind of undeniable smash hits he used to make with alarming regularity. Perhaps to counter the common narrative that his talent waned as his notoriety progressed. Perhaps out of a cynical but unfounded belief that there is little that causes the music industry to erase a blank slate and let bygones be bygones just like massive commercial success. It exploded in ways never before imagined. Hear it on the hellishly catchy juvenile-sampled “Do It” and on “Problematic,” where Ty Dolla $ign’s vocals dust themselves off rather than being buried under his Auto-Tune and truly soar. can do. And you can hear it at Carnival. Carnival opens with a hook clearly designed to get a huge crowd screaming along, and is thrilling, aided by a huge choral sample and some of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’s beats from hell. Proceed in grand style. Another throwback to a time when West’s genius far outweighed his ability to provoke outrage.
Then again, there’s a moment in the middle of “Vultures” where you wonder if West actually wants someone to forget about the accompanying controversy. The kindest interpretation of his recent actions is that he is a deeply unwell man being manipulated by the worst people imaginable, among them white supremacist Nick Fuertes. Another interpretation is that he is some kind of pro-nuclear powerhouse trying to cause a backlash, which he certainly did. The backlash went far beyond online outrage, leading to a surge in anti-Semitic attacks, including one in which synagogues and Jewish cemeteries were “vandalized with the phrase.” “Kanye was right.”
And if you stick to the edgelord theory, there’s plenty of evidence here to support it. The cover design may have been changed to no longer evoke the work of the reprehensible black metal band Burzum, but the nasty jokes and boasts negate West’s recent apology to the Jewish community. There are many voices. It’s anti-Semitic because he “just fucked a Jewish bitch” by providing the title song. He jokingly compared himself to R. Kelly and Bill Cosby, who were both humiliated at the carnival. He raps to King, “Anti-Semitism/Still King.” It’s more depressing than shocking. The actions of a man who thinks he can ignore this album because he has so clearly made a great one cancels out all other criticism. For all of Vultures’ scattered musical high points, he’s wrong on both counts.
