Not many artists in the music industry have achieved the level of fame and success as Kanye West. With over 160 million records sold and 24 Grammys, Ye has become a legend for his work, but also popular for his unique and radical lifestyle.
After the somewhat underwhelming release of Donda 2 in 2022, fans have been waiting for the next hit album from the Atlanta rapper. Released on Feb. 9, 2024, Vultures 1 is the culmination of the collaboration between West and Los Angeles artist Ty Dolla Sign. The album comes off the heels of certain controversies surrounding West in 2023, which muddied his public image but also caused a surge in his public relevance before a big album drop.
Although they appear uncredited on the tracks they appear on, several artists were on Vultures 1 as features. This list includes many well-known artists like Travis Scott, Quavo, and Playboy Carti as well as Kanye’s daughter, North West.
The start to Vultures 1 is good, with “STARS” and “KEYS TO MY LIFE” kicking it off. Ty Dolla Sign’s verses over the beat on “PAID” prove to be one of the best parts in the first half of the album. “TALKING” features North West on the intro with a catchy hook.
About a quarter way into Vultures 1 things take an unfortunate turn. The next few songs fall into the trend of being either somewhat lackluster or just a bit quirky. West is no stranger to unique styles, but it doesn’t always make for the best tracks, at least for a large number of listeners.
Thankfully, the third quarter comes along and blows the beginning out of the water. Playboy Carti and Travis Scott come on the 10th track and Kanye, Dolla Sign, and Lil Durk raise the bar on “VULTURES.” Taste is subjective, but it would be hard to argue that “CARNIVAL” isn’t the stand out song on the whole album. The chanting mixed with the beat and each rappers’ style comes together to make a track that parties will be blasting for the foreseeable future. The next track, “BEG FORGIVENESS”, gets emotional but still has a fast pace and great vocals from Chris Brown.
Unfortunately, “GOOD (DON’T DIE)” had an issue with copyright and had to be removed from streaming. Hopefully there is either a resolution or a workaround and it comes out again in some fashion. The album wraps up with “PROBLEMATIC” and “KING.” Both are good and provide a fitting end.
Most artists have some underwhelming music in their careers, that is a given in the industry. Vultures 1 has a decent mix of hits and average tracks. Kanye and Ty Dolla Sign crafted some great art, undeniably. It may not be the best album of their careers, but it starts off 2024 with a high bar for other artists to aim for.
