‘Vultures 1:’ Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s first installment may not be enough

Delayed release dates and media controversy leading up to Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s new album, “Vultures 1,” have prevented the album from release, but it finally dropped over the weekend. Aside from the long-awaited release from the well-acclaimed rapper, there is no doubt that Ye has been in the spotlight for reasons not related to music. The Chicago-born rapper made headlines with his antisemitic remarks, causing hatred amongst his fanbase and the American people. Regardless, the three-year gap from Ye’s last album, “Donda,” has had the hip-hop world anticipating new work from the artist — especially after teaming up with the well-known R&B artist Ty Dolla $ign. This is not Ye’s first time teaming up with another artist to put out an album. In 2018, Kid Cudi and Ye released “Kids See Ghosts” with one of the high points of the record titled “4th Dimension.” So, coming off the pairing of Kid Cudi’s baritone sound and contemporary style, pairing Dolla $ign’s soulful and full sound, there was no doubt Ye would put together a piece of art.  

The album first opens up with the track “Stars.” An elevated gospel sound eases listeners into the record. Following the opener are “Keys To My Life” and “Paid” with the two artists on the track. Putting a spin on the iconic lyric from the hit song “Roxanne” by The Police, Ye belts out, “Roxanne, you don’t have to stop at the red light,” reinforcing in the outro on “Friday night lets all get paid” which is the style of refrain Ye and Dolla $ign do not shy away from using throughout the album, especially on the fifth track, “Back to Me.” Tracks like this share a similar energy to Ye’s older album, “The Life of Pablo,” particularly the song “Fade,” featuring none other than Ty Dolla $ign and Post Malone.  

North West featured with her father on “Talking,” calling herself “Miss Westie.” During her verse on the song, The 10-year-old warned the world, “Don’t tryna test me / It’s gonna get messy.” Then, the song takes on a completely different beat with Ty Dolla $ign singing about his daughter and guiding her to not make the same mistakes he made as an adult.  

“Do It” kicks in with the uncredited feature of great Nipsey Hussle and Dolla $ign behind him, taking the chorus throughout with a YG feature at the end. From the start, listeners should not expect a concept album, but instead, every song acts alone and could easily be thrown in a shuffle at a club.  

Dolla $ign shows his strengths on the ninth track, “Burn,” as the rapper/singer brings a soul-funk sound using the sample “Love Me or Leave Me” from the Band of Thieves throughout the chorus. As Ye comes in on this song, his flow goes back to the days of “Old Kanye,” as cliche as it may sound.  

A widely recognized sample on “Vultures 1” is Donna Summer’s 1977 hit, ”I Feel Love,” used on “Good (Don’t Die).” Summer’s chorus was altered and mixed to fit this track’s rich sound.  

Next on the track list is a familiar sample Ye used for his critically acclaimed “Bound 2” off the 2013 album “Yeezus;” the sound once again pays homage to the Ponderosa Twins Plus One with their song “Bound” fitting them in with a deeper tone before Dolla $ign begins “Problematic” and the two exchange alternate verses.   

Dolla $ign and Ye close out their debut album with “King,” featuring samples from the electronic dance artist S.Maharba’s “Stems” on the hook and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” on the vocals. Ye makes it a point to let people know he is the “King” regardless of what is said in the media about him being “Crazy, bipolar, antisemite.” The rapper exclaims in the closing track, “King,” “They thought the headlines was my kryptonite.” The message is clear: No matter how often you try to take Mr. West down, it is impossible to keep him quiet.  

“Vultures 1” speaks to both Ye and Dolla $ign’s versatility as artists. It is a culmination of different sounds throughout the entire album, so defining it as having one singular mood is difficult. While the whole album might not blow listeners away from front to back and will not stand out in the discography of Dolla $ign or Ye, the world will need a “Vultures 2” to decide.  

“Vultures 1” is out now on all music platforms.  

Rating: 4/5