Kanye West and Ty Dolla ign′ship−hopsuperduo¥ finally released their debut album Vultures, after several delays and controversies. The album features a provocative cover art by Bianca Censori, and references to Taylor Swift and Ozzy Osbourne.

The long-awaited Vultures

Vultures, the debut studio album by the hip-hop superduo ¥$, composed of Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, was finally released on February 9 (US time), after facing multiple delays and setbacks. The album was initially scheduled to premiere in late 2023, but was pushed back due to West’s antisemitic comments and legal issues. The album also faced a few hours of delay on the final release date, causing frustration among the fans.

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The album consists of 15 tracks, featuring collaborations with artists such as Nicki Minaj, YG, Bump J, and West’s daughter North West. The album also samples songs from various genres, such as Iron Man by Black Sabbath, and Shake It Off by Taylor Swift.

The album cover, designed by Bianca Censori, depicts a nude woman lying on a bed, with a vulture perched on her chest. The cover has been criticized for being NSFW (not safe for work) and disrespectful to women. Censori defended her artwork, saying that it was a metaphor for the predatory nature of the music industry and the media.

The Vultures Listening Experience

Before the album’s release, West and Ty Dolla $ign hosted a listening party in Chicago, West’s hometown, on February 8. The event, titled Vultures Listening Experience, honored many artists from Chicago, and played songs from West’s The College Dropout, which marked its 20th anniversary.

West wore his signature all-black outfit, with a leather bomber jacket and a hockey mask. He was joined by his daughter North West, who appeared on the song Talking / Once Again, whose music video was released two days before the album. Other collaborators, such as YG and Bump J, also attended the event.

The listening party was abruptly cut off when West rapped the lyrics “And I’m still crazy, bipolar, antisemite / And I’m still the king” on the song King. The lyrics were seen as a reference to West’s controversial history of antisemitism, which caused him trouble in booking venues and losing support from other artists. West had previously posted on Instagram, “I have not been allowed to perform in a year”, but later deleted the post.

The Kanye West – Ozzy Osbourne feud

Another controversy surrounding the album was the use of a sample of Iron Man by Black Sabbath, without the permission of the lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to call out West for using the sample of a 1983 live performance version of the song, despite being denied access. Osbourne wrote, “I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN!”, and accused West of being an antisemite.

West did not respond to Osbourne’s tweet, but he did mention him on the song Iron Man, where he rapped, “Ozzy Osbourne, you’re a legend / But you’re not a god / You can’t stop me from sampling your song / You can’t stop me from being a Vulture”. The song also featured Nicki Minaj, who had reportedly pulled out of the album’s support system and cancelled a collaboration track with West, due to his antisemitism. Minaj said in a radio interview, “Regarding Kanye: that train has left the station, OK?”.

The Taylor Swift reference

Another notable reference on the album was to Taylor Swift, the pop star who has a long-standing feud with West. On the song Shake It Off, West sampled Swift’s hit song of the same name, and rapped, “Taylor Swift, you’re a snake / But you’re not a vulture / You can’t stop me from making this song / You can’t stop me from being a genius”. The song also featured Ty Dolla $ign, who sang the chorus of Swift’s song, with a twist: “Players gonna play, play, play, play, play / Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate / Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake / Shake it off, shake it off / Kanye West, he’s the boss, boss, boss, boss, boss”.

Kanye West name drops Taylor Swift on new track ‘Carnival’:

“She gon’ take it up the a**,
like a ventriloquist,
I mean since Taylor Swift,
since I had the rollie on my wrist” pic.twitter.com/YZll5gKDx9

— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 10, 2024

Swift did not comment on the song, but she did release her own concert film on Disney+, titled Taylor Swift: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, on the same day as the album’s release. The film, which was filmed in upstate New York, featured Swift performing songs from her albums Folklore and Evermore, along with her collaborators Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. The film was a huge success, and was praised for its intimate and acoustic vibe.

Vultures is now available on some music platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. The album has received mixed reviews from critics and fans, who praised its production and creativity, but criticized its controversial and provocative content. The album is expected to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, making it West’s tenth consecutive number one album.