Vultures 2
Vultures 2 is the second studio album by the American hip-hop supergroup, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was surprise released under West's YZY brand on August 3, 2024. Guest performances include Don Toliver, Playboi Carti, Kodak Black, Future, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Yuno Miles, West's daughters North and Chicago, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Desiigner, Cyhi the Prynce, 070 Shake, and Ty Dolla Sign's brother Big TC. The album's digital deluxe editions add guest vocals from Peso Pluma, Kodak Black, Kid Cudi and Travis Scott.
Recording sessions were first held for the track "Can U Be" in 2015, three years before West started recording "Sky City" and seven years before "530", which were then finalized in 2024. West and Ty Dolla Sign focused on composing Vultures 2 with collaborators after the release of its predecessor in 2024; the rapper quickly backtracked on an announcement of retirement in July 2024. The former sustained multiple delays before release, with the performers initially considering issuing it exclusively on West's Yeezy website. In March 2024, audio rips of tracks such as "River" and "Promotion" were made available for streaming online. West and Ty Dolla Sign previewed tracks from the album at listening parties in the United States throughout the same month, before holding events in international locations like Goyang and Haikou during August and September.
Following the release of Vultures 2, West continuously updated the tracks. Encompassing hip-hop, R&B, house, and trap, the album received negative reviews from music critics, who criticized its unfinished sound, and the usage of AI throughout the album. Themes of women, money, freedom, and redemption are present, while West portrays himself as a victim of others. A few hours before the album's release, "Slide" was issued as the lead single. A music video for the track "Fried" was also shared in August 2024. In November 2024, a video for "Bomb" was released, featuring a new rap verse from meme rapper Yuno Miles, which West had first premiered at a live show in August. The cover art for Vultures 2 features an action figure of Ty Dolla Sign wearing an all-black costume while holding a picture of his older brother, Jabreal Muhammad, also known as Big TC, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder they both deny that he had committed.
Background and recording
Songs from the album were recorded off and on from 2015 to 2024. On January 23, 2024, West revealed that he would be releasing a Vultures series as a trilogy with Ty Dolla Sign, with the first set for release in February, the second on March 8, and the final on April 5. Vultures 1 was released after a slight delay as the first installment of the series on February 10, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 and experiencing worldwide chart success. On February 25, 2024, Timbaland, who worked on the album, announced that the second installment was "on the way". On March 3, French Montana announced his involvement and shared a clip of himself with the duo in the recording studio. After Vultures 2 had not met its scheduled release five days later, West explained that he and Ty Dolla Sign were still recording in the studio.On April 24, 2024, Rolling Stone confirmed a track entitled "Let Me Chill Out" had been recorded for the album, featuring the deceased rapper Takeoff with fellow rappers Rich the Kid and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. On June 22, Ty Dolla Sign appeared on a cover story for Billboard and played some of the tracks from Vultures 2. The singer explained that all the songs were recorded, although him and West were still trying to "go bigger than the first album". On July 9, 2024, Rich the Kid shared an exchange of text messages where West announced that he was retiring from music. Rich the Kid argued to West that he was needed for music and his cultural impact, requesting for him to release Vultures 2. The announcement caused divided reactions amongst West's fans, with some disappointed in his retirement and others celebrating. Shortly after announcing his retirement, West returned to feature on frequent collaborator Consequence's track "No Apologies" on July 12, 2024.
Several songs on Vultures 2 had appeared on track lists for West's previous albums or been played during his listening events. West started recording "Can U Be" during the 2015 sessions for his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo, the same year that fellow rapper Travis Scott previewed it with a video of him. He stopped working on the track in 2017, although it experienced multiple internet leaks and became popular with his fans online. "Sky City" was reportedly recorded during the 2018 sessions for West's unreleased album Yandhi, having previously leaked online. "530" also leaked and appeared on a track list for his demo album Donda 2, recorded in 2022; the final version remained largely unchanged. "Slide" was previewed during multiple events in 2023, before appearing on a track list for Vultures 1 in 2024. A listening event was leaked in December 2023, where West and Ty Dolla Sign previewed "River". In January 2024, North West wore a T-shirt with an early track list for Vultures 1 that included songs such as "Time Moving Slow", "Promotion", "Dead" and "Take off Your Dress".
Music and themes
Vultures 2 is a hip-hop, R&B, house, and trap album, incorporating avant-garde. It features a raw style, including prominent synths. Multiple publications noted the album's unfinished sound, comparing its songs to demotapes. The instrumentation at the start of Vultures 2 invokes the Deep Note of THX that is also used at the beginning of rapper and record producer Dr. Dre's 2001 ; West previously stated the album's track "Xxplosive" influenced his sound.Ty Dolla Sign provides harmony with his singing throughout, while some tracks feature few vocals from West. Incomplete verses are delivered by West, who has been accused of using artificial intelligence for certain performances. Vultures 2 features themes of women, money, freedom, and redemption. West portrays his character as a victim of others, such as the music industry and his former wife Kim Kardashian. He depicts as the music industry not wanting him to succeed and himself a survivor of cancel culture, remaining in the spotlight.
Songs
The album's opening track, "Slide", begins with a cinematic sound that combines a booming percussion section with organs, alongside THX synths. Ty Dolla Sign performs first on the song as he delivers smooth soulful vocals, while West stands defiant in the face of industry opposition in a villainous tone. Resembling Donda 2 track "Flowers", "Time Moving Slow" features drum kicks and West declaring "I rewrote my ending". "Field Trip" is based on a sample of Portishead's "Machine Gun", which is combined with Kodak Black's vocals. The guest rappers have more vocals than West on the song, including fast rapping from Playboi Carti. "Fried" relies on chants that invoke Vultures 1 single "Carnival", with lyrics from West threatening people who consider becoming opposed to him and Ty Dolla Sign comparing himself to deceased rapper Tupac Shakur. The interlude "Isabella" follows, consisting of a rock sample. "Promotion" contains synth tones and drum sounds, alongside a lyrical reference from West to his 2007 single "Good Life". An introspective number, "530" features West lamenting over his relationship with ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. "Dead" includes booming drums and synth tones, with lyrics from West reflecting on a former lover after fellow rapper Future's verse. Future's voice is sequenced and he raps about his involvement with an Instagram model, while Ty Dolla Sign identifies himself as "the new Hugh Hefner| Hef" and rapper Lil Durk engages in a call and response with the singer and West. "Forever Rolling" incorporates clattering drums in its grand production, opening with a verse from West calling out companies that parted ways with him. Lil Baby and Ty Dolla Sign deliver lines back and forth, focusing on staying together and making the most of life.A bouncy track with a Jersey club beat, "Bomb" consists of bilingual rapping from Kanye's daughters North and Chicago West, the former of whom repeats greetings in Japanese. "River" prominently samples Leon Bridges' 2015 track of the same name and its first verse is performed by rapper Young Thug, who harmonizes at the start. The song is themed around the freedom of Young Thug and mobster Larry Hoover, marking a rare reference to the criminal justice system from Kanye West on Vultures 2. "Forever" contains elements of dance music, seeing West and Ty Dolla Sign focus on their desire for love. "Husband" features West depicting Kardashian as having needed their relationship to maintain her finances, expressing self-pity. West continues this subject matter into "Lifestyle", ridiculing women who envision a luxury lifestyle outside of their reach. The song features a verse from fellow rapper Lil Wayne about women's Brazilian butt lift, as well as a reference to West's rival Taylor Swift. "Sky City" is driven by lightly strummed electric guitar and changes the song structure from its original leak, while Ty Dolla Sign harmonizes the chorus of the Five Stairsteps' single "O-o-h Child". West raps incoherently on the song as he compares his brand YZY to liberation from "picking cotton", followed by associate and fellow rapper Cyhi the Prynce envisioning making visits to his ancestors. The closing track, "My Soul", sees West call out Adidas and address incarceration in the United States. Ty Dolla Sign delivers an emotional prayer to his brother Big TC, who harmonizes about the freedom of maintaining his Muslim faith in spite of imprisonment.
Release and promotion
West shared the cover art for the album through his Twitter account on March 9, 2024, showing a masked figure standing in all-black outfit. The figure on the cover was revealed to be Ty Dolla Sign and he holds a photo of Big TC, who has the real name of Jabreal Muhammad and has been given a 16-year prison sentence under for a murder that they both insist he did not commit. On March 10, 2024, in a conversation with a fan page, West mentioned that he would be selling Vultures 2 on his Yeezy website for $20 instead of releasing it on streaming platforms like Vultures 1. West thought streaming devalues music and is "basically pirating", offering that he could reach one million album sales from five percent of his then-20 million Instagram followers. He said the decision was made to stop streaming companies being "in control of the artist" and Ty Dolla Sign echoed West's views in spite of requests for the album to be streamed, declaring the release went against "what these streaming services want u to to believe so they can stay on top".File:Cyhidaprynce2014.jpg|thumb|upright|West's fans believed artificial intelligence was used to create his vocals on "Field Trip" and "Sky City", considering that guest vocalist Cyhi the Prynce stood in for West on the latter.|alt=Cyhi the Prynce performing for The Come Up Show in June 2014.
On March 14, 2024, audio rips of the tracks "River", "Everybody", "Worship", "Promotion", "Slide", and "Field Trip" were made available for streaming on Instagram and TikTok. During an appearance on Justin LaBoy's podcast, West announced a new release date of May 3, 2024, around two months later than the initially slated release. Vultures 2 missed the release date, with both West and Ty Dolla Sign largely silent on social media at this time. On July 30, West announced through his website that all the orders for the album placed had been fulfilled and shipped out, and that it would be released on August 2, 2024. However, hours later, the release date was removed from his website. On August 3, 2024, Vultures 2 was surprise released independently to streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music by West's YZY brand. It was also made available on the iTunes Store, sold at a discounted price of $4.99 in the first week. Geoff Barrow of English band Portishead responded to the sample of their 2008 single "Machine Gun" on "Field Trip" by expressing disappointment that an artist used the song without permission again, as well as questioning why West can not "write his own beats". On August 4, 2024, Swsh posted that West had not cleared the sample of "Break the Fall " for "530", although did not take issue with his usage.
Following the album's release, fans of West accused him of using AI to create his vocals on "Field Trip" and "Sky City". They analyzed that his verse on the first song was recorded by Ty Dolla Sign and the verse on the latter was from Cyhi the Prynce, though noted that "Sky City" contained brief punching in that sounded authentic. Billboard Michael Saponara observed West's "robotic flow" on "Sky City", but not on the verse that fans believed was AI. On August 7, 2024, the album's first deluxe edition was released, which featured and the bonus track "Take Off Your Dress". According to West's chief of staff, the track will eventually be made available on streaming platforms. On August 8, 2024, four additional deluxe editions were released with a bonus track for each: "Believer"; "Gun to My Head" featuring Kid Cudi; "Drunk" featuring Peso Pluma in place of Bad Bunny and Kodak Black; and "Can U Be" featuring Travis Scott. The five deluxe editions were sold through West's website, priced at $5 each and listeners received real-time updates of the songs.
On August 2, 2024, "Slide" was released through West's website and streaming services as the lead single from Vultures 2. Before its release, the song was rumored to feature vocals from British musician James Blake. It was released at night, a few hours before the album. An accompanying black-and-white music video was released on August 13, 2024, featuring women almost naked in a single side-angle shot. The song reached numbers 88 and 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart, respectively. On August 7, 2024, West shared an animated music video for "Fried" that depicts a group of masked individuals running around a concrete landscape. In November, a post-apocalyptic-inspired video for "Bomb" was released, featuring a rap verse from Yuno Miles.