Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West are such legendary hip-hop artists that their back catalog still sells better than most rap albums that dropped this year. But it’s astounding that the former’s 2012 classic is still selling more than one of the latter’s most recent projects, and certainly one of 2024’s most talked-about and consumed releases. Moreover, good kid, m.A.A.d. city reportedly became the eighth best-selling hip-hop album in the United States by total units in 2024, zooming by Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s VULTURES 1. Considering that GKMC is still relatively high on the Billboard 200 and even cracked its top 20 earlier this year, maybe we shouldn’t express so much shock.
Also, it’s not like VULTURES 1 was a particularly beloved or replayed album from Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign. Of course, the LP performed very well commercially and tracks like “CARNIVAL” and “BURN” were enduring standouts throughout the year, for better or worse. Maybe the collaborative effort’s legacy will change further down the road and establish a more solid foundation, but with the championship year that K.Dot’s enjoying right now, it seems like a futile effort.
Kendrick Lamar’s Vault Is Out-Selling Kanye West’s Premieres
Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid m.A.A.d city” is now the 8th best selling rap album in the US by total units in 2024, surpassing Kanye West’s & Ty Dolla $ign’s “VULTURES 1”. pic.twitter.com/fmW2JHa4YE
Kendrick Lamar dropped GNX this year to massive commercial success (or at least, the best-case scenario a surprise drop can give you) and to much fan acclaim. This was after an explosive beef with Drake, “killing the party,” and building anticipation for his Super Bowl halftime show next February, so it was one heck of a cherry on top. But we’re sure some of Kanye West’s charting classics, like Graduation or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, could outshine that new record sales-wise in a regular calendar year with ease.
Meanwhile, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar do have one thing in common: seemingly complicated relationships with J. Cole. In Kendrick’s case, though, we really have no idea what things look like between him and Cole these days. But the Dreamville boss has a hesitant admiration for Ye that he doesn’t really seem to reciprocate. If he had funneled that energy into a more cogent album than VULTURES 1, then maybe he would have sold more than GKMC this year.
Today has been another busy day for Kendrick Lamar. Throughout Monday afternoon, the California sensation has been dropping more extra curriculars surrounding the release of his sixth album GNX on Friday, November 22. One of those things includes physical copies of the record. He’s launched three different vinyl variants, as well as a CD, cassette, and a digital version. They are all available for pre-order (except the digital version) and will ship at the beginning of March or soon thereafter. But that’s not all, right around noon again, he shocked everyone. This time, it was with a music video for what is shaping up to one of the biggest hits on the record, “squabble up.”
The snippet from the “Not Like Us” visual was highly anticipated and has been ever since. Fans have been extremely thankful that Kendrick wound up building out a full idea for the song and they are rewarding him handsomely for his efforts. Previous reports say that the song is trending toward a chart-topping debut on the Hot 100. We still have some time before that officially happens, but it’s very likely. On top of streaming the song across numerous platforms a ton, the visual is getting similar love. As it stands, it sits at nearly two million views just four hours in to it dropping.
As with most things Kendrick does, fans are trying to find connections, callbacks, and the like with this visual. Overall, it doesn’t seem to be too deep, but it is a healthy homage to West Coast hip-hop and the culture at large in California. However, some fans are maybe reaching one particular shot in the music video and it’s with the one above you. As you can see it’s Lamar standing away from the wall with a half-naked woman standing and facing the green backdrop.
Some are likening this to Kanye West and his cover art for VULTURES 1. If you remember it’s Ye facing the camera while his wife Bianca Censori is practically nude facing the opposite direction. However, this is actually not correct. Instead, this is a callback to one the OGs, Ice T. The New Jersey to L.A. rap act put out an album in 1987 called Power and it featured a woman of similar stature wearing a white jumpsuit/unitard on the cover. Some fans cleared up the confusion in the comments, but it just goes to show how much effort Kendrick puts into every artistic move.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign cannot seem to escape the mess that is VULTURES 1. The album suffered through numerous delays and controversies. Most stemmed from West’s controversial antics and public statements. Upon its release, however, VULTURES 1 was subject to a lawsuit by the estate of disco icon Donna Summer for an uncleared sample. The lawsuit was settled in June, but now it seems another one has taken its place. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are being sued over yet another uncleared sample.
The sample in question is on the song “Fuk Sumn.” The copyright infringement lawsuit has been filed by a trio of artists: Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and Kilo G. Per TMZ, the lawsuit claims the song sampled at the beginning of “Fuk Sumn” was taken from from the DJ Squeeky track “Drank a Yak (Part 2).” Criminal Manne is the rapper who spits the lyrics “Smokin’ on a junt, with my n**gas drinkin’ O.E.” Kilo G then gets sampled later on the track. The trio claim that they tried to negotiate with Alien Music when “Fuk Sumn” was first released.
Unfortunately, Kanye West fired a large portion of his staff in May, and the negotiations never got off the ground. Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and Kilo G claim that they have yet to be paid royalties, despite the fact that their work was clearly sampled. They also claim that Kanye West’s reps have not been in touch with them for several months. The trio are seeking damages for the runaround they feel they have been given since February 2024. This is merely the latest lawsuit that has been leveled against West in recent months.
The rapper was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by his ex-assistant, Lauren Pisciotta. He’s also facing lawsuits from other former employees, many of which are stemming from his defunct school, Donda Academy. It gets worse. Kanye West is in the midst of finding new legal representation, and Ron Zambrano, an opposing attorney, derided the rapper for having “the attention span of a goldfish.” The rapper will be forced into a default judgement unless he finds new representation soon.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign have officially submitted for Grammy consideration in numerous categories at next year’s ceremony. For their first collaborative effort, Vultures 1, they hope to land nominations in the Album Of The Year and Rap Album Of The Year categories. Off of that project, the single “CARNIVAL,” has been submitted for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance.
Fans on social media haven’t been optimistic that West and Ty will win any of the awards. “As if the Grammys would let him win that sh*t,” one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote in response to a report from RapTV. Another fan posted: “No way this sh*t actually gets a Rap Album Of The Year nomination, let ALONE Album Of The Year.” One more fan wrote: “If this gets nominated over something actually good I’ll lose even more respect for the Grammys.”
Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign Perform At Rolling Loud
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: (L-R) Rappers Kanye. West & Ty Dolla $ign perform onstage during the “Vultures 1” playback concert during Rolling. Loud 2024 at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 14, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Kanye and Ty dropped Vultures 1 back on February 10, 2024, featuring collaborations with Freddie Gibbs, YG, Nipsey Hussle, Quavo, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Bump J, Lil Durk, Rich the Kid, and Chris Brown. They ended up releasing the sequel on August 3 with plans for a third and final installment by the end of the year. “V3 bouta rip heads off,” Ty recently wrote in the comments of a livestream on social media. The two have yet to announce a release date for the project.
Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign Submit For Grammy Consideration
Check out the full list of awards the Vultures duo hopes to compete for below. Ye has won a total of 24 Grammies throughout his career. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign on HotNewHipHop.
Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘VULTURES 1’ and ‘CARNIVAL’ have officially been submitted for the 2025 Grammys
VULTURES 1: Album Of The Year Rap Album Of The Year
CARNIVAL: Record Of The Year Song Of The Year Best Rap Song Best Rap Performance pic.twitter.com/VwqQxllAiH
But, the show must go on (apparently), and since no one stateside seems willing to put up with his antics anymore, he performed his latest Vultures Listening Experience in South Korea, where the impact of his actions has undoubtedly been muted by cultural differences. While performing at the Goyang Stadium in Goyang-si, South Korea, he played not only songs from his new album, but also from across his discography, including fan favorites like “All Falls Down,” “Gold Digger,” “Stronger,” “Heartless,” “Power,” “Black Skinhead,” and many, many more, all while shouting out former labelmates and rivals. You can see the full setlist below, courtesy of setlist.fm.
Vultures 1
01. Stars
02. Paid
03. Talking
04. Everybody
05. Back to Me
06. Do It
07. Burn
08. Fuk Sumn
09. Carnival
Vultures 2
01. Slide
02. Field Trip
03. Fried
04. Promotion
05. 530
06. Dead
07 Forever Rolling
08. Bomb
09. River
10. Lifestyle
11. Sky City
Encore
01. All Falls Down
02. Jesus Walks
03. Through the Wire
04. Hey Mama
05. Heard ‘Em Say
06. Touch the Sky
07. Gold Digger
08. Diamonds From Sierra Leone
09. Late
10. Good Morning
11. Stronger
12. I Wonder
13. Good Life
14. Can’t Tell Me Nothing
15. Flashing Lights
16. Homecoming
17. Heartless
18. Run This Town
19. Power
20. All Of The Lights
21. Monster
22. Devil In A New Dress
23. Runaway
24. Hell of a Life
25. Mercy
26. Clique
27. On Sight
28. Black Skinhead
29. New Slaves
30. Blood on the Leaves
31. Bound 2
32. No Church in the Wild
33. Niggas in Paris
34. Otis
35. All Day
36. Only One
37. FourFiveSeconds
38. Ultralight Beam
39. Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1
40. Famous
41. Wolves
42. Fade
43. Yikes
44. All Mine
45. Ghost Town
46. Violent Crimes
47. Feel The Love
48. Hurricane
49. Moon
50. Off the Grid
51. Jail
52. Praise God
53. Come to Life
54. 24
Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign dropped off their collaborative album Vultures 1 all the way back in February. Overall, there were supposed to be two sequels. One would drop in March and the other in Apri. However, we are all the way in July and we still have yet to receive Vultures 2. Fans have been hoping and praying for a miracle. However, there appears to be no album in sight and it’s unclear whether or not it will ever come out.
A couple of days ago, Kanye West claimed that he was retiring from music. The very next day, Vultures 1 was removed from Spotify. It was all very bizarre and fans were confused about what was happening. Well, as it turns out, the takedown for the album did not last long at all. If you were to go to Spotify right now, you would see that the album has returned. This has led to even more confusion as fans have no idea why the album would have been taken down in the first place.
Overall, Vultures has proven to be a controversial release. Many Kanye Stans see it as a huge return to form. Others believe it is the worst project he has ever made. Although Ye’s production is still solid, his lyrics have left a lot to be desired. Especially now that his politics are beginning to seep through. Subsequently, it will be interesting to see where Ye goes from here, and whether or not he truly retires.
Let us know what you thought of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s Vultures 1, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that this is one of Ye’s worst projects? Or do you believe that this was a nice return to form for the artist? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Despite obstacles to listen to Vultures 1, it still debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated February 24 — becoming West’s 11th-career No. 1 album and Ty Dolla Sign’s first. Vultures 1 accumulated 148,000 equivalent album units in the United States during its first week, according to Billboard and its Luminate data service.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have absolutely been through the wringer this year given the chaotic rollout of VULTURES 1 and the absence of its promised sequel project. However, it turns out that there’s still another chapter in the bizarre VULTURES saga, as the album is no longer available on Spotify. You can still listen to some singles like “CARNIVAL” and “TALKING,” but the LP as a whole disappeared for unexplained reasons at press time. We don’t know if this has to do with its distribution deal, sample clearance issues, or Ye and Ty’s plans to only stream their material via the YZY app.
This was already the planned release method for VULTURES 2, so we don’t know if this VULTURES 1 removal means that Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s next collaboration is in jeopardy. Still, it’s possible that the album will just reappear on Spotify in due time, as had already happened when the album dropped in the first place. As for other streaming services, it seems like Apple Music still has it up, so that suggests this is more of a distribution issue with Spotify in particular. Still, that’s just speculative, and there’s a big chance that we will never find out for sure.
Also, this is curious because Kanye West seemingly announced that VULTURES 1 would be his last album, since he claimed to retire from music recently. Nevertheless, as with all things Ye, this didn’t really last long, as Rich The Kid announced that he would have a new feature on his new album Life’s A Gamble. Maybe this is just a promo stunt or another plea for attention, but it’s easy to presume that the Chicago artist just doesn’t have the same relationship to music that he used to. It was only a matter of time, and we’ll see how true his words are.
Meanwhile, perhaps this VULTURES 1 removal will have an impact on the duo’s planned Korea listening event for VULTURES. Whether or not Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign shelve their collaborative series, that wouldn’t close the door on new Ye music for the rest of time to begin with. So maybe we’ll see the album back on Spotify tomorrow morning… or users on the platform will never bump “BURN” again. It’s all a mystery in Ye’s world right now, and maybe a break is more reasonable than outright abandonment.
Ty Dolla Sign says that his next project with Kanye West, Vultures 2, is nearly complete and that fans can expect a new sound from the two as compared to their first effort together. He discussed the highly-anticipated project during an interview with Billboard published on Friday.
“We got all the songs. Basically, it’s just like, ‘How can we get it there? How can we go bigger than the first album?’” he said. From there, he alluded to an evolution of their sound together. “Certain people will probably expect you to just do the same exact sound. But that sound’s already out,” he said. The latest details come after he made a huge update on the release during Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out – Ken & Friends, last week. According to the NFR Podcast, he said: “The album is almost done and could be released any day now.”
Ty Dolla Sign & Kanye West Perform “Vultures 1” At Rolling Loud
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: (L-R) Rappers Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign perform onstage during the “Vultures 1” playback concert during Rolling Loud 2024 at the Hollywood Park Grounds on March 14, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Elsewhere in the interview with Billboard, he described West as “the best artist of this generation” other than himself. “I don’t give a f–k about what people were talking about,” he said. “I know my n—. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met,” he said. As for whether he was worried about West’s antics impacting the success of their record, he added: “Just with my analysis of how it goes with him, he goes all the way to the top. And something may happen and he’ll say [something people find offensive] — and then people [get] right back, you know. Because this sh-t is undeniable.”
Ye and Ty first teamed up for the first Vultures album back in January. They plan to release an entire trilogy together. Be on the lookout for further updates on Ty Dolla Sign and Kanye West on HotNewHipHop.
Following the release of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s new album, Vultures 1, the pair have been immersed in the promotional circuit for the album including a comprehensive and extensive conversation with Big Boy. They discussed topics ranging from their collaborative album to insights on the music industry, recent controversies and beyond. The interview between the Vultures 1 duo and the esteemed radio host lasted over an hour. Here are five of the biggest takeaways from the conversation.
Kanye West has previously openly embraced Christianity including in a previous interview with Big Boy. This has been evident in his music for decades. However, following the release of Vultures 1, Ye expressed conflicting sentiments. He mentioned having “issues with Jesus,” and asserted that the act of prayer is a significant source of contention for him.
“You know, I have my issues with Jesus. There’s a lot of stuff I went through that I prayed and I ain’t see Jesus show up… We’re so in this mentality that that’s all that needs to happen but we ain’t praying our way out of prison; we ain’t praying our way out the abortion clinics. We ain’t praying our way to get our land back that was always ours after gentrification after the Harlem Renaissance and Black Wall Street was burned to the ground. Them prayers ain’t working.”
Industry Blackball
Kanye West speaks on how he truly feels about ‘Vultures1’ going #1 on the Billboard hot 100 charts with Big Boy pic.twitter.com/kOB3UJLk3h
During his interview with Big Boy, Kanye brought up one of his most controversial moments — the 2009 VMAs. Ye took this moment to speak about the challenges he and Ty faced while creating this new album. Specifically, he mentioned reaching out to a select few individuals to inquire whether Universal Music Group was intentionally hindering the chart success of his music because of the incident. He shared his belief there has since been a conspiracy to stunt his commercial growth.
“When it went number one, I called up some people I know like ‘You think Universal was capping my albums ever since the Taylor Swift moment?’” he said. “‘And no one could deny that was happening. Just limit him. Turn it down, turn that boy down.’” Kanye also listed some of his most iconic records, expressing to Big Boy that their moderate success was quite a shock. “‘All Of The Lights’ is like number 28. ‘All Of The Lights?’ ‘Runaway,’ you know, ‘N***as in Paris’ was not a number one record.”
Kanye West has been embroiled in several controversies over the years that have become worse in recent times. The rapper has also received backlash from both the Black and Jewish communities. This scrutiny arises from various actions and behaviors, including his endorsement of former president Donald Trump and instances of antisemitic sentiments. Ye disclosed that he has been subjected to numerous threats and expressed surprise at his continued survival. “My life has been threatened,” he stated. “I wake up every day just surprised to be alive because of how many threats I’ve received. From political to Twitter commentary, to all that.”
Ty Prevents Vultures 1 From Getting The Donda Treatment
Speaking of making headlines for various controversies, Ye also lost several friends. Ty Dolla Sign, however, has long since stood by him. He spoke up and explained that despite everything that was going on with Ye, he didn’t hesitate to collaborate with him on Vultures 1. He also asserted his belief that Ye would regain public favor in due time.
More surprisingly, though, was Ty Dolla $ign’s ability to push back against some of Ye’s suggestions. During the conversation, Ye revealed that he attempted to make Vultures 1 entirely clean, similar to Donda. However, Ty Dolla $ign shut down that idea quickly.
Pioneering Two Decades Of Music
In one clip that undoubtedly shook up the internet, Ye told Big Boy that he invented every genre of music in the past 20 years. “I invented every style of music of the past 20 years, I created the genre, I created The Weeknd genre, Trav, Drake… Everybody,” he declared. “I’m gonna go ahead and say, with all love, Future and Thug also. Because the autotune album, 808s, if you think about it. Everybody think about Trav, Weeknd, and Drake, but no one thinks about Future and Thug also. Autotune album. Now everyone, they added what it was to it. But here’s a new genre. It’s called the ‘making your own money’ genre.” The claim ultimately had people talking including Boosie Badazz.
The Vultures 1 duo revealed that the album was the first of a trilogy collaboration between Ye and Ty Dolla Sign. Vultures 2 is set to be released in May, and Vultures 3 will follow sometime this year. Ty also hinted that the upcoming albums will have a different sound. Moreover, he encouraged fellow artists to be original with their work.
“That’s what the goal is for Vultures 2 and Vultures 3, always elevating,” Ty said. “Like if you ask me the question- what I think about music, I feel like I don’t wanna diss anybody, but at the same time, you n***as gotta get better. People always copy the next shit… Like 10 songs are the same thing of each different type of beat.”
(@mosthiphop) 
Album Of The Year
