VULTURES 1 was released on February 10, 2024, and it feels like a long time has passed between that and the release of VULTURES 2. For one, we had perhaps the biggest rap battle of all time in that space. I mention this because Kanye West (and I guess also Ty Dolla $ign) tried to jump into that battle, and nobody cared. This was compounded by the multiple delays of the actual release of VULTURES 2. While the release of the first of the planned VULTURES trilogy had a lot of hype around it, VULTURES 2 definitely didn’t release to the same fanfare (“Oh, so they finally released it, huh?”).
Well, VULTURES 2 is finally here, and as always with a Kanye project, we have questions. While many think that it’s still Yeezy on the cover of the album, that is actually Ty Dolla $ign and a picture of his incarcerated brother. Does that mean this album will lean more toward Ty Dolla’s talent? And speaking of album art, why did they switch to a low-resolution version for the official cover? (Below I used a higher quality version I found on Ty’s Instagram page)
I haven’t kept up with all the listening sessions or leaks as much as I did with VULTURES 1, but just like Kanye’s previous releases that get updated on DSPs like software patch notes; there’s actually a message on the YZY site: “Updated songs will be published in real-time.” As a matter of fact, as of this writing, a “new” version of the album was just released. Unfortunately, I am reviewing the 1.0 version of VULTURES 2. Let’s see if the delays were worth it.
1. SLIDE
Produced by Kanye West, Apollo Parker, ryderoncrack, AyoAA, London on da Track, Lester Nowhere, Peter Lee Johnson, & Leon Thomas III
The production on the first track off the project sounds like the THX sound test with… the drums from the Omarion song “Touch”? (I just checked, and I was right.) Ty Dolla $ign starts off the song and handles the hook with Kanye on the second verse. It’s a club record, and it’s okay, but I’m kind of surprised they started off the project like this instead of how they started off VULTURES 1. Maybe this album will lean more in favor of Ty Dolla $ign.
2. TIME MOVING SLOW
Featuring The Inter Milan Ultras; Produced by Kanye West, AyoAA, 88-Keys, Fya Man, SHDØW, The Legendary Traxster, Cruza, Azul, & Nathan Butts
Ye once again gets the “hooligans” back on the track. This can’t be the same group that was on “Carnival”; these guys can sing and sound like a choir. Either way, I was on the fence about this song (which is another club/dance song) until the pianos dropped in. This feels like something CeCe Peniston would have sung on in the 90s (and that’s a good thing). Kanye handles the rapping here, and he matches well with Ty providing a hook and refrain that had me singing “I’m not alone” by the end. I like this one.
3. FIELD TRIP
Featuring Playboi Carti, Don Toliver, & Kodak Black; Produced by Wheezy, Dez Wright, EJ PARIS, Chrishan, & The Legendary Traxster
Some people might be hyped to see Playboi Carti and Don Toliver as features on this track. Not me. They may be the worst part of this track. I don’t mind Ye and Ty’s back-and-forth verse, and even though is not Kodak at his best, I guess his verse is passable, but I’m still not feeling the song as a whole.
The more interesting thing about this track is that it supposedly sampled Portishead’s “Machine Gun” without permission. I’m not even sure if the same version is still on streaming as you are reading this. To me, this song not worth getting sued over.
4. FRIED
Produced by TheLabCook, Digital Nas, & Ojivolta
Another feature from The Inter Milan Ultras (this time uncredited). The main thing you will immediately notice about this song is that production-wise, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign were trying to recreate their hit song “Carnival.” And why not? They made the original. The issue is that “Fried” doesn’t compare and just makes you want to listen to “Carnival.” But if this song came on, I wouldn’t skip it.
5. ISABELLA
Produced by Kanye West
A nine-second skit of a woman saying, “You better buy me those fuckin’ shoes.” I don’t get the reference. I did think “Beverly Hills” by Weezer was getting ready to play.
6. PROMOTION
Featuring Future; Produced by Kanye West, AyoAA, London on da Track, The Legendary Traxster, KrishnaMusic, & DJ ESCO
“Promotion” feels like a Future song with Yeezy’s touch on the production even the the production credits include names like London on da Track and DJ Esco. Plus, you got Future Vandross singing his regular stuff like buying “another nigga ho” and stuff about Mars. It works. Future fans will love it too.
7. HUSBAND
Produced by Kanye West
“HUSBAND” is the only song on VULTURES 2 where Kanye is the solo producer. He is also the only one on this song. And he is singing about a (maybe) promiscuous woman needing (of course) a husband. I actually think Ye has his moments without Auto-tune where his singing isn’t that bad. This isn’t one of those times. I guess you can take this as singing from the heart or something. But nah.
8. LIFESTYLE
Featuring Lil Wayne; Produced by Nico Baran, FNZ, & Wheezy
Maybe “HUSBAND” was just an interlude for “LIFESTYLE” because Kanye uses the exact same verse here; speaking of which, I like his singing a little better here too. I also liked Lil Wayne’s verse here; I would have preferred the rapping version of Weezy instead of the singing one, but it wasn’t bad (I wonder are people ever confused when Wheezy produces a song for Weezy).
The song is about women wanting to live a certain lifestyle. Weezy has the first verse, Ty has the second, and Kanye has the last verse (even though we already heard it). Production-wise, I like what they do when the verses start (it samples Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks”). Weirdly enough, I can see women liking this song a lot.
9. FOREVER
Produced by James Blake
James Blake produced “FOREVER,” and my only problem with this song is I felt like I was waiting for the beat to drop, and it never did. I also felt old because I thought it sampled Faith Evans’s “Love Like This,” but it’s actually Kettenkarussell’s “Maybe,” which also samples Faith Evans’s “Love Like This” (So I was still right). The song is barely over a minute, so maybe it wasn’t supposed to do a lot.
10. BOMB
Featuring North West & Chicago West; Produced by The Legendary Traxster, Cruza, Noah Madrid, & Tech Club
I have a rule where I try not to bash songs when the artist features their children. This is still a trend, and this time Kanye does this with North West and Chicago West while he hums over a club beat.
For those keeping a ranking of these types of songs, North West’s “Talking” is still #1.
11. RIVER
Featuring Young Thug; Produced by Kanye West, AyoAA, Digital Nas, London on da Track, The Legendary Traxster, Pi’erre Bourne, Gren808, Lamm, Taydex, & Wes Singerman
How many unreleased verses does Young Thug have?!
That being said, I didn’t mind this song at all. “RIVER” is probably the most Kanye-sounding song on the album (so far).
Thug starts things off with a long verse, with Kanye providing the following two with a chorus. It even has an uncredited Charlie Wilson feature at the end, which seems like a waste, but that’s just Kanye.
Free Larry. Free Young Thug.
12. 530
Produced by Kanye West, E.Vax, FNZ, & BoogzDaBeast
Look at that. After a couple of years of floating around on the internet, we finally get an official release of “530”. I would have thought they would have slapped a new Ty Dolla $ign verse on it, but nah, this is the same verse that you already may have heard. (Bad mix and all) That aside, and even with Kanye’s unfinished-sounding and rambling last verse, this is so far the best song on VULTURES 2. The sample of Swsh’s “Break the Fall” still does most of the heavy lifting. (And apparently, it may have also been used with permission.)
13. DEAD
Featuring Future & Lil Durk; Produced by ATL Jacob & London on da Track
I kind of already said this before, but with production by ATL Jacob & London on da Track, “DEAD” feels like a Future song, especially when Durk’s verse and Future says “dead” over and over again as ad-libs (that may be the best part of the song). Besides that and Future saying “Cook up the yay’, make it jump out the gym” six times in a row, it’s an okay song. Another one Future fans will love.
I’m surprised to see Lil Durk here after Kanye went on record and said that Durk was fake and switched up on him. But who knows when this was recorded. Plus, Kanye is crazy.
14. FOREVER ROLLING
Featuring Lil Baby; Produced by FOREVEROLLING, Flex on the Beat, Audiovista, Kanye West, Mattazik Muzik, & Leon Thomas III
It’s hard to place it, but for some reason, “FOREVER ROLLING” feels like a song from another album. The production sounds like it’s from a 70’s sci-fi movies (if that makes sense). Still, when the drums finally dropped in, the song grew on me. Plus, it’s just a song where the rappers are talking shit (“Fuck your favorite rapper, his number ain’t even numbers”) and a good verse from Lil Baby.
Also, was this song named after one of the producers credited, FOREVEROLLING?
15. SKY CITY
Featuring 070 Shake, Desiigner, & CyHi The Prynce; Produced by Kanye West, BoogzDaBeast, Timbaland, DRTWRK, Federico Vindver, Angel López, & damn james!
I was surprised to see 070 Shake, Desiigner, and CyHi The Prynce featured on this track, seeing that none of these artists are no longer on Kanye’s label. After looking more into it, the song was probably made around 2018/2019. While I like the inspirational feel and theme (“Say it’s my year, know it’s my year, my year”) and I understand why it’s here late in the album (where inspirational songs sometimes go), just like other songs, it still doesn’t feel like it should be on this album at all. Kanye maybe should have kept this one in the vault.
16. MY SOUL
Produced by BoogzDaBeast, FNZ, 88-Keys, 30 Roc, Camper, & Rory Noble
This song is dedicated to Ty Dolla $ign’s brother, who is currently serving life in prison, as well as prisoners in California being used to put out the wildfires (something I was not aware of). They even include a verse by Ty’s brother Big TC to end the song and close the album (which, with the album cover, makes sense).
Kanye also has a verse talking about mass incarceration and makes sure to throw in a “Fuck Adidas” for good measure.
While I don’t know if I will revisit this song again, theme-wise, it makes sense to end the album here.
Not only is VULTURES 2 not as exciting this go-around, but it’s also a mess. A lot of tracks don’t stand out, and they feel more like songs that were laying around rather than forming a cohesive theme (other than leaning a little more towards dance-infused sound). Songs like “FRIED” or “TIME MOVING SLOW” feel like the artists trying to recreate sparks that happened on VULTURES 1. And while my favorite song on the project is “530,” songs like that and “SKY CITY” show their age and feel like they were added to pad the album.
I also didn’t want to mention how bad the mixes on some of the songs were throughout the review. Yes, it will probably be or has been fixed, but why would Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign release a badly mixed project?
But this is definitely not an unreviewable project. There are a few songs and moments where you still see glimpses of the genius of Kanye as well as the talent of Ty Dolla $ign. But just glimpses.
Kanye and company may tweak VULTURES 2 after it is released, but unless they start all over and present something better, it will not help the letdown.
Here’s looking forward to VULTURES 3. I guess.
