Kanye West, now known as Ye, is one of the most polarizing and conflicting men in the world right now. He’s a man filled with controversy and contradiction, and his most recent album reflects just that. In 2024, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign dropped their long awaited collaborative album ‘Vultures 1’ under the name ¥$. Vultures is an album filled with a good amount of highs and lows, and, most importantly, it is by far Ye’s most consistent album when compared to his most recent work (‘Donda’ ‘’Donda 2’, ‘Jesus is King’).
Going into the album I expected a limited number of emotional songs, as Ty Dolla $ign is most commonly known for his feature work on songs meant for the club, often time being the hook on a generic trap song (although it’s clear he’s always possessed the ability to do more with his vocal range and talent). However, immediately into the album we are hit with the tracks ‘STARS’ and ‘KEYS TO MY LIFE’, both of which are emotional tracks that cover Ye’s divorce and emotional dilemmas that both Ye and Ty have faced in life. For the most part, the best tracks on the album are the ones that are emotional. Tracks like ‘GOOD (DON’T DIE)’, ‘BEG FORGIVENESS’, and ‘PROBLEMATIC’ are some of the best on the track list, with ‘PROBLEMATIC’ having some of Ye’s best rapping since ‘The Life of Pablo’. On these tracks we see that Ye can still deliver with his bars and that, as obnoxious as he is, he still knows how to evoke real, raw emotions out of listeners.
However, there are tracks where Ye’s obnoxious bars get in the way of a song. This can be seen best on the track ‘BACK TO ME.’ Ye’s sampling on the song is some of the best of the album, Ty gives one of his best hooks, and Freddie Gibb’s feature is amazing. However, Ye’s constant repetition of the same line throughout the middle of the song holds it back. At its core, the line he is repeating isn’t the issue, as I love the fact that Ye is having fun on the track. However, the continuous repetition of the same line makes the song become stagnant and, after a couple listens, boring. Other songs like ‘HOODRAT’ and ‘KING’ fail to shine for their own reasons. ‘HOODRAT’ has one of the loudest and annoying samples and drums that I’ve ever heard, which pairs horribly with the gospel-inspired performance. ‘KING’ on the other hand isn’t necessarily a bad track, as there are some really good qualities on the song. However, it feels vacant. There are moments Ye could have continued with rapping and, once again, the repetition of the same line over-and-over again holds the track back, which more than likely stems from not enough time given to the track before release, leading to poor writing and structure.
Ye gets away with a lot of poor writing throughout the rest of the album, though. This is thanks to his amazing production abilities, star studded cast of features, and Ty’s amazing vocals and ability to be the glue that holds a song together. Songs like ‘CARNIVAL’ and ‘FUK SUMN’ are generational songs meant to mosh to, with both of them getting some of the best performances that Playboy Carti has given as of late. Other tracks like ‘DO IT’ and ‘BURN’ shine as club bangers and play to the strengths of both Ty and Ye, with Ty delivering with some of his best rapping and chorus work off the album.
Overall, my thoughts on the album are conflicted. Compared to the works of Ye during the prime of his career, the album is a failure. However, to expect the same thing out of a man over a 20 year career is unfair. Ye’s continuing to change as a person and explore new sounds that are made to push boundaries. This album also let Ty Dolla $ign shine under a bigger light and I hope that he uses this opportunity to continue to grow as an artist, as his voice and musical abilities are greater than most people give him credit for. Most importantly, though, this doesn’t change how I view Ye as an artist. He’s one of the best to do it and his work on Vultures, although not as high in quality as his previous albums, will continue to help inspire generations of artists, musicians and forward-thinkers.
