Will Kanye West's Delayed 'Vultures 2' Really Drop Tomorrow? What We Know -- And Why The Rollout Is So Messy Staff, 8/1/2024 Kanye West's long-delayed album "Vultures 2" may finally release tomorrow, following initial announcements that have since vanished. With a history of missed deadlines and legal troubles, fans are left uncertain once again. Will West overcome the messy rollout and deliver another hit? Read more to find out. Fans believe "Vultures 2," the long-delayed album by former billionaire Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, may finally drop tomorrow following a months-long wait after a message on West's Yeezy website said the album would arrive Friday -- though that message is now gone, rendering the album's release uncertain once again.
The album has been delayed at least twice over the course of five months with little explanation. After "Vultures 1" released in February, "Vultures 2" and a third installment were initially planned to follow in March and April, respectively, but neither album was released. In April, West said on Justin LaBoy's "The Download" podcast that "Vultures 2" would release on May 3, but that release date also passed without an album release.
The rocky rollout for "Vultures 2" follows a similarly bumpy release for "Vultures 1." That album also missed several planned release dates in December and January before finally arriving on Feb. 10. Just days after release, the album disappeared from streaming services because of a dispute with the music distributor FUGA. The distributor alleged it had originally declined to release the album, but a "long-standing FUGA client delivered the album through the platform's automated processes, violating our service agreement," the company said. West was sued by Donna Summer's estate in Los Angeles federal court for allegedly using a sample of her 1977 hit, "I Feel Love," without permission, which was settled in May. The song that contained the sample, "Good (Don't Die)," is no longer available on streaming services. Ozzy Osbourne also reportedly threatened to sue West for sampling one of his live performances, allegedly without permission.
West is worth about $400 million, according to Forbes estimates, much of which comes from real estate, his music catalog and a 5% stake in his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's Skims brand. His net worth tanked significantly from an estimated $2 billion in October 2022 after Adidas dropped its partnership with Yeezy following a series of bizarre behavior and antisemitic comments West made.
Whether "Vultures 2" can match the success of "Vultures 1." West's latest release delivered him his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 and his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 ("Carnival") since the antisemitism controversies threatened his career.
Some fans of Taylor Swift, with whom West and Kardashian have had a long-running public feud, believe Swift has dropped hints her upcoming re-recorded album, "Reputation (Taylor's Version)," may also release Aug. 2. Fans believe "Reputation" was inspired by their feud and the public backlash it created, and Swift told TIME last year the album was a reaction to "being gaslit by an entire social structure." Fans have cited hints such as Swift holding up two fingers in the eighth slide of her latest Instagram post -- which could reference "8/2" -- as well as her website appearing to deliberately glitch and the Olympics using her song "...Ready For It?" in advertisements.
Kanye West's New Album Disappears From iTunes, Apple Music: Here's Why (Forbes)
Kanye West Says 'Vultures 2' Drops Next Week -- But Will He Stick To It After Series Of Messy Rollouts? (Forbes)