Vultures Part 1 Review

On February 10th, 2024, Vultures 1 by YE and Ty Dolla Sign was finally released. This also happens to be the 20th anniversary of YE’s debut album, The College Dropout. It was originally planned to be released on February 9th, but because of sample complications, he wasn’t allowed to. YE did end up living up to his promise this time (mostly). Overall, I think this is probably the best thing he has released since 2018. Although the album isn’t bad, it struggles to have an identity of its own. It feels too derivative of YE’s older work; especially, Life of Pablo and Yeezus. As much as I love his older music, I know YE for being an innovator, he always does something new and different. However this time, it mostly falls into the box of modern rap music with a hint of his older work in there. It comes off as very washed up, and maybe it’s time to retire. Also, I do take issue with some of the lyrics here, they don’t have the same powerful messaging as his older music and they feel like he’s objectifying women and making excuses for his antisemitism. Which is a far cry from the lyrics on his last projects Donda and Jesus is King. Although being delayed for months now, the album STILL somehow feels unfinished. 

All that being said, it isn’t a BAD album, I would still give it a solid 6/10. However, it could still be from recency bias. It does have its moments, with “BURN” and “PAID” being catchy and fun songs. It does try to be emotional sometimes, but it just feels boring to me. It’s not hitting the same high as “Runaway” but maybe that’s too much to ask. One song on this album I’m super torn on is “CARNIVAL”. On one hand, I see why it’s the most popular, it’s catchy, has great sampling, and is a fun villain-type song. However, it does feel like Yeezus with a trap beat over it. Also, it has that one line about Jesus (you know the one), and I do not like the featured artists in this song. 

Overall, this first album hasn’t impressed me as much as I hoped. I will have some songs on repeat for a while but it’s nothing special. Listening to this has made me realize I’ll never experience YE in his prime, I’m watching a racist, washed-up superstar falling further down a rabbit hole of mental unwellness. I can’t say I’m looking forward to the next two installments as much as I was looking forward to this one. But who knows, maybe he’ll prove himself to still be one of the greats, or perhaps he’ll fall further down this bad path. 

Vultures Part 2 Review

Recently, and once again late, YE and Ty Dolla Sign released the second installment in their Vultures series of albums. It somehow managed to be worse than the first one. This one straight-up has no good songs in my opinion. There is some stuff from the unreleased album Yandhi here, but he somehow managed to release it less finished than the leaked demos online. I didn’t even end up finishing this album the first time I listened to it. I listened to it in full for this review and it’s honestly worse than I remember. It’s such a drag to listen to, it feels like it goes on forever and that’s because of one fatal thing about this album, IT’S BORING. So many tracks blend and sound the same. They sound to me like basic, generic, modern rap music. YE himself doesn’t even sound interested, he mumbles all his verses which ruins any song he has a big part in. 

Recently, there has been stuff revealed about YE that’s an explanation for his behavior. He has been hooked on an addictive gas. For a little over a year now, his dentist, Dr. Thomas P. Connelly, has gotten him on it. Which has led to the decline of his mental well-being. Even before this, he was on a mental decline but this has made it exponentially worse. The gas rapidly destroys your brain beyond recovery, which is evidenced by YE’s recent actions, statements, and behaviors. 

This has kind of gone off the rails of an album review, but it’s something I wanted to write about. I don’t think this story has enough exposure and it’s very sad to see YE like this. I know not a lot of people like YE very much, and he’s done and said a lot of bad things, but honestly, between 2018 and 2021 he seemed to be going on a better path as a person. However, in the past few years, we have seen him in a worse state than at any other time in his career. Despite what he’s said and done, I do hope that he gets better and goes on a better path. The Vultures era can just be a bad chapter in his life. I don’t care if we ever see another YE album again as long as he’s on the road to recovery.