Yeezy is back! Kanye West officially released his highly anticipated new album, Ye, on Friday, June 1, after premiering it at a star-studded listening party in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The brief seven-track project boasts features from artists including Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi and Ty Dolla $ign. West, 40, covers everything from Tristan Thompson’s cheating scandal to his marriage with Kim Kardashian to his mental health, the latter of which is front and center on the album cover.
Kardashian, 37, tweeted that her husband of four years shot the artwork with his iPhone on their way to the listening party. It is a simple but scenic photo of a Wyoming mountain range with the words “I hate being bipolar it’s awesome” written across the center.
Kanye shot the album cover on his iPhone on the way to the album listening party 😂🔥❤️🔥🙏🏼🔥
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 1, 2018
.@kanyewest's #ye is here.
Listen now: https://t.co/XmNsXc2k0T pic.twitter.com/Qu780UizDZ— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) June 1, 2018
Ye begins with a track titled “I Thought About Killing You,” on which West raps about experiencing dark thoughts and considering suicide. “I contemplated premeditated murder / And I think about killing myself,” he repeatedly intones. “I love myself way more than I love you.”
“Yikes” finds the Grammy winner opening up about his recent revelation that he battled an addiction to opioids. It also includes a reference to Russell Simmons, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault, allegations that he has denied. “Russell Simmons wanna pray for me too / I’m a pray for him ‘cause he got #MeToo’d,” West raps.
The MC name-drops several people on “All Mine.” He raps, “I could have Naomi Campbell / And still might want me a Stormy Daniels,” referencing the porn star who claims she had an affair with President Donald Trump. (The White House has denied any relations between the two.)
— Def Jam Recordings (@DefJamRecords) June 1, 2018
Seconds later, West calls out Thompson, 27, for cheating on his sister-in-law Khloé Kardashian. “All these THOTs on Christian Mingle / Almost what got Tristan single,” he raps. “If you don’t ball like him or Kobe [Bryant] / Guarantee that bitch gonna leave you.”
The Yeezy designer reveals on a song called “Wouldn’t Leave” how Kardashian reacted to one of his recent controversial comments. “I said, ‘Slavery a choice’ / They said, ‘How, ‘Ye?’ / Just imagine if they caught me on a wild day,” he raps. “Now I’m on 50 blogs, gettin’ 50 calls / My wife calling, screaming, saying, ‘We ‘bout to lose it all!’ / Had to calm her down ‘cause she wouldn’t breathe / Told her she could leave me now / But she wouldn’t leave.”
— Def Jam Recordings (@DefJamRecords) June 1, 2018
The seventh and final track, “Violent Crimes,” pays tribute to West and Kardashian’s daughters, North, 4, and Chicago, 4 months. (They are also the parents of son Saint, 2.) “Father, forgive me, I’m scared of the karma,” he raps. “‘Cause now I see women as somethin’ to nurture / Not somethin’ to conquer / I hope she like Nicki [Minaj] / I’ll make her a monster.”
Chris Rock, Jonah Hill, Pusha T and 2 Chainz were among the many celebrities who flew to Wyoming to attend the musician’s listening party. This is his first album since 2016’s The Life of Pablo. He is set to release a joint project with Cudi, 34, titled Kids See Ghost on Friday, June 8.
