Kanye West is a man who needs no formal introduction or description. He is someone whose impact is felt in every corner of pop culture. Kanye is one of the most influential and important creatives ever. He has been a driving force in fashion, music, and overall culture for the last 25 years. He is someone who you could mention to your grandparents and have them know about him and whatever he has been doing recently because every move he makes is newsworthy. Unfortunately, Kanye’s legacy has become a bit tarnished over the last few years due to his crazy and unfortunate antics. From his messy split with Kim Kardashian to his White Supremacy and Nazi leanings(which unfortunately have been prevalent through the symbolism in the rollout of this project), Kanye has not been thought of positively in recent history. He has now decided to return to music with his first release since 2021’s Donda. This was an album that was polarizing, to say the least, and it puts the expectations on this new release very high(as some people want to see the new album as a return to form, and others want to see it live up to the level they hold Donda on). Kanye’s new album is actually a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign. This is a pretty random person for him to make a new record with, as they have only worked together a handful of times. VULTURES 1 is supposed to be the beginning of a three-part series of albums from these two together; time will tell us if this series comes to fruition, but it is (usually)nice to get new music from Kanye regardless. That said, here is how I feel about Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s VULTURES 1. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite tracks are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.
Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign get VULTURES 1 going on a triumphant note with the track ‘STARS.’ The instrumental for this song is so simple yet so powerful. The track is driven by a melody centered around a vocal sample from the Alt-R&B song ‘Good Luck’ by Dijon. This vocal sample is so luscious and cozy, giving the song a welcoming sound that is so cool. This vocal sample is complemented by a fuzzy guitar riff and saturated synths that get stronger as the song moves along, making the track feel bigger as it progresses. The beat for ‘STARS’ is pretty understated and calm. This beat fits the melody well, as it adds to the subdued nature of the track. The vocal performances on this track are excellent. I love how the high-pitch Ty Dolla sings with contrasts the lower and more raspy vocals of Kanye. Lyrically, ‘STARS’ is not too important. On this one, Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign are rapping about how great their lives are and how they can get what they want. There is this stupid line from Kanye that I am sure will generate headlines though: Keep a few Jews on my staff now… Do not know why he had to include this, but it does not take away from the song’s quality in terms of sound. ‘KEYS TO MY LIFE’ is a track that is reminiscent of some of the music Kanye originally got big for back in the day. It has an instrumental that makes me think of both The College Dropout and 808s and Heartbreaks. It has a chipmunk soul element of the former due to the pitched-up vocals from India Love, but it has an Electro-R&B Hip Hop of the latter through the warm synths that drive its melody and through the beat. It is not a very exciting or innovative track, but it provides a nostalgic quality that is nice. The rap on this track from Kanye is poignant and sad-sounding, and the vocals from Ty Dolla are charming. On ‘KEYS TO MY LIFE,’ Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign are talking about past toxic relationships they have been in, with Kanye detailing the end of his marriage with Kim Kardashian. ‘PAID,’ which features R&B legends Jodeci, has a lot darker and more intense sound than the first two tracks of the album. This song has the chaotic and mean energy that was prevalent in Kanye’s Yeezus. The song is driven by a heavily distorted keyboard melody with a very dystopian feeling. This melody is capitalized by synths and sound effects that come in and out giving the song an immersive feeling at times. This track has a really fun danceable House music beat with a super barebones drum style that makes the song so gritty. All of the vocals on ‘PAID’ are dynamic and zealous, going so well with the energy of the track. Every vocalist on this track, from Kanye to the members of Jodeci to Ty Dolla $ign, provides something so distinctive and cool that adds to how fun the song is. On ‘PAID,’ partying the night away after getting paid on Friday. It is a simple and relatable track. The first half of ‘TALKING,’ which features Kanye’s daughter North West, keeps the underground House feeling we got on the last track. The first half of ‘TALKING’ is strictly for North West. In this portion of the track, North West sing-raps over a gratifying House beat and a colorful synth-driven instrumental. This section of the track is quirky and joyful and easy to sing along to. Halfway through ‘TALKING,’ the instrumental completely changes. The instrumental takes on an epic Alternative Hip Hop sound that is similar to the early work of Kid Cudi. This section of the track is ethereal and massive, giving the song a more serious tone. Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s vocals in the section of ‘TALKING’ are not the most impressive, but they do sound nice on this instrumental and do not take away from it. On ‘TALKING,’ Kanye and Ty Dolla sing about getting older, with Kanye specifically talking about watching his daughter grow up and getting nervous for her.
‘BACK TO ME,’ which features Freddie Gibbs, is quickly emerging as a fan favorite from this record; it is definitely not tough to see why this is the case. This is a smooth yet vigorous Alternative R&B track that feels modern and retro at the same time. The distorted and otherworldly synths that drive this melody are so fresh, yet the sparse beat is so early-2000s. This song is also full of multiple awesome vocal samples(such as the iconic beautiful big titty women don’t just fall out of the sky, you know?) that contribute to the flamboyant sound of the song. Once again, all of the vocals on ‘BACK TO ME’ are great, with Kanye and Freddie Gibbs standing out. Kanye’s range on this song is so wide that I originally thought it was Young Thug instead of him. On ‘BACK TO ME,’ Kanye, Ty Dolla, and Freddie Gibbs are talking about how their money and accolades give them the ability to be with any woman they want to be with. ‘HOODRAT’ is easily the most harsh and abrasive song of the album so far. It breaks up the lighter feeling we have mostly gotten up until this point. This song undoubtedly has the energy of Kanye’s Yeezus album. The tempo of ‘HOODRAT’ is another one that takes on a 2000s Alternative R&B feeling. The melody for ‘HOODRAT, though, is mean and cold, driven by distorted synths, weird vocal effects, and grating sound effects. ‘HOODRAT’ is a song with an interesting concept that does not feel executed well. This could be a good song if it was arranged a bit differently and if the vocals were better, but without these things ‘HOODRAT’ suffers. On ‘HOODRAT,’ Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign again talk about getting with beautiful women due to their status. ‘DO IT,’ which features YG, is the first song of the album that feels like a true throwaway. ‘HOODRAT’ at least had some redeeming qualities, but this one just doesn’t grab me. What’s funny is because it has such 2010s club energy I could see it end up becoming decently popular. The best way I can describe ‘DO IT’ it sounds like a typical mid-2010s Ty Dolla $ign R&B Trap track. The melody uses a sample from Juvenile’s track ‘Back That Azz Up,’ and the melody has a lazy quick Pop-Trap sound. The vocals on this song are pretty solid, but they do not improve the safe and monotonous feeling of the track for me. On ‘DO IT,’ Kanye, Ty Dolla, and YG talk about partying at the strip club and blowing their money. ‘PAPERWORK,’ which gets assistance from Quavo, goes back to the jarring and massive Industrial House music we got earlier on the record. This one might be the most rough and nasty track yet. The beat for this track is so foreboding and angry; the synths that drive this melody are ugly and tough, giving the track a nasty feeling. The House beat that pushes this song along is understated, but still has an anxious element to it that goes well with the melody. The vocals on ‘PAPERWORK’ are pretty smooth, but somehow do not take away from the nastiness of the instrumental. On ‘PAPERWORK, Kanye, Ty Dolla, and Quavo tell their women that they will never have to work a real job because of how much money they make.
‘BURN’ is a song with a sound that is nothing like the songs that precede it. This is a major highlight from the record to me; my only gripe with it is that it is not longer. At 1:51, ‘BURN’ feels incomplete and leaves me wanting more. This song has a funky old-school R&B sound that has a Disco element to it. This track feels like a modern and synthetic version of some of the best music from the 1970s. Both of the vocal performances on ‘BURN’ are good, but Ty Dolla $ign stands out. His sultry vocals fit this instrumental so well and make it pleasant to listen to. On ‘BURN,’ Ty Dolla $ign and Kanye are talking about being infatuated with a new woman in their lives. ‘FUK SUMN,’ which features Playboi Carti and Travis Scott, is a two-part track with an overwhelming energy and presence. The first half of the track, which is performed by Ty Dolla and Playboi Carti, has a booming Trap sound with an instrumental provided by multiple distorted samples of old-school Hip Hop bangers. The vocal performances from both Ty Dolla $ign and Playboi Carti are excellent, matching the raucous feeling of the instrumental. When the beat switches, the song takes on a less intense feeling. The beat slows down and becomes sludgy, and the melody is heavily distorted but not nearly as abrasive as what we got in the first half of the track. I have to say, I like the vocal performances from Playboi Carti and Ty Dolla $ign a lot more. Kanye and Travis Scott are alright, but they do not compare to the energy we get from the other two artists on the track. The title of ‘FUK SMN’ is self-explanatory, as each artist on this track is talking about trying to find someone to bring home for the night. ‘VULTURES,’ featuring Lil Durk and Bump J, was the only single released in anticipation of this album. To be honest, I do not have a lot to say besides that it made me worried about how this record would sound when it came out. This is a pretty sloppy and cumbersome Melodic Trap track. It feels pretty lazy, and nothing about the instrumental or vocal performances draws me in at all. That is all I have to say about this song; I am glad the rest of the album is not like ‘VULTURES.’ We go from what is probably the worst song on the album to what is probably the best one when we move on to ‘CARNIVAL’ featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti. This is an epic and bold Industrial Trap track that features a great sample to drive the melody. The melody for ‘CARNIVAL’ is driven by a distorted version of the melody from the track ‘Mo Bamba’ by Sheck Wes. This song is so enormous and heavy; from the crazy, majorly distorted melody to the hard-hitting Trap beat, ‘CARNIVAL’ has a looming presence. The one thing that holds this song back is the stupid vocal sample about riding the d that is used as the hook of this track. All of the vocal performances on ‘CARNIVAL’ are good, but Playboi Carti stands out for sure. His eccentric flow and weird tone fit the wild sound of the instrumental and take this song over the top. On ‘CARNIVAL,’ Kanye, Ty Dolla, Rich The Kid, and Playboi Carti are again talking about how all the money they have made makes them desirable to women.
‘BEG FORGIVENESS,’ which features Chris Brown, is certainly a strange inclusion to this record. This is a cover of the song of the ’Gabriel’ by Joe Goddard, with the only change in lyrics coming with the omission of the word “Gabriel” on the chorus(because of Kanye’s faith, maybe?). Even though this is a pretty compelling remake of an already cool song, there are a couple of reasons I just can not vibe with this track. For one, I am not a fan of Chris Brown, so anything he is included in these days typically just is not for me(I know this is rich to say when reviewing a Kanye record, but it is how I feel). Secondly, some of the lyrics when put in the context of the rest of this record are just harsh and icky, and I do not appreciate them. ‘BEG FORGIVENESS’ is a gripping concept, but I can not get behind it. ‘GOOD (DON’T DIE)’ is the sweetest and most simple song on this record. The instrumental for this one is driven by a sample from Donna Summer’s song ‘I Feel Love.’ This mix for this instrumental is heavily distorted and saturated, consisting of futuristic and trippy synths. The beat of this track is upbeat and soft and matches the robotic feeling of the melody. The vocal performances from Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign on ‘GOOD (DON’T DIE)’ are understated, but this is okay because they fit the mellow feeling of the song. On ‘GOOD(DON’T DIE),’ Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign are singing about how the woman they are in love with has such a beautiful smile that it makes them want to do anything for this person. ‘PROBLEMATIC’ is a song with a cool and classic sound that I want to enjoy. It has the kind of old-school, soulful production that is reminiscent of The College Dropout. The sample that drives the melody is pitched up and squeaky like Kanye’s classic Chipmunk soul sound, and the lack of beat on this one makes the melody feel so powerful and triumphant. The vocal performances from Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign are solid, as they are not riveting in any way but they do not detract from the power of the song’s overall energy. Although ‘PROBLEMATIC’ has a cool sound, the lyricism takes away from its quality. On this track, Kanye complains about how people have reacted to the controversial things he has said recently while also bragging about his influence. It is honestly tiring and unfun to listen to at this point. Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign close out VULTURES 1 ‘KING.’ I will say, this is an unfortunate way to end this album, to say the least. The instrumental for this one bores me, and the lyricism is worse than it was in the song that precedes it. Similar to ‘VULTURES,’ I do not have a lot to say about this one. All I will say is that I wish Kanye would have wound this album down on more of a triumphant and approachable note, as the last couple of songs leave a sour taste in my mouth.
To be honest, even though maybe I shouldn’t feel this way, I wanted VULTURES 1 to be good. For better or for worse(mostly worse), I will always have a soft spot for Kanye. Despite all of the deplorable things he has said, I have a sense of nostalgia connected to him and his music that I will never be able to get rid of. VULTURES 1 is a rollercoaster, to be frank. There are a lot of good moments on this album that I enjoy. Kanye sonically takes risks in some pretty cool ways, and when these risks work out, they work out hugely. But there is a lot that drags this album down. For one, some of the mixes are pretty trash; for an album that was redone multiple times in the last couple of months, the production should have been cleaner. Secondly, though he does have some good performances, Ty Dolla $ign feels out of place a lot of the time on VULTURES 1. It is like he is tagging along for the ride, and I do not understand why this is considered a collaboration record. And finally, so much of Kanye’s lyricism on this record is awful, and it takes away from the quality of the sounds. At times, VULTURES 1 feels less about the music and more about being a ranting session for Kanye. VULTURES 1 is an album with some awesome high points, but they get weighed down by a lot of the low points for sure.
EAST SIDE VIBES 