Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign held their album listening party for Vultures last night (February 8) at Chicago's United Center... and of course, it didn't end up dropping. Who's really surprised was our first question, but as they previewed more and more tracks, more pressing matters emerged. Moreover, there was a particular track that caught many listeners' ears, and its title going around social media right now is "Carnival." In it, the Chicago rapper makes reference to various "canceled" individuals, particularly entertainers accused of sex crimes, and as usual, drops a comparison to Jesus Christ, for good measure. 'Cause, you know, it's Kanye.
"Anybody p***ed off, gotta make them drink the urine/ Now, I’m Ye Kelly, b***h/ Now I’m Bill Cosby, b***h/ Now I’m Puff Daddy rich," Kanye West raps on the previewed song. "That’s ‘Me Too’ me rich/ First she say she suck my d**k/ Then, she say she ain’t suck my d**k/ She ’gon take it up the a** like a ventriloquist/ I mean, since Taylor Swift, since I had the Rollie on the wrist/ I’m the new Jesus, b***h, I turn water into Cris’.”
Kanye West Previews "Carnival" At Vultures Event, "Cancels" Himself
Furthermore, this is alluding to Kanye West's tendency to rope his personal life and circumstances into his music, whether specifically for his antisemitism or the backlash surrounding it, which is why he mentions movements like #MeToo. Whether or not you're a fan of this, it's hardly surprising or notable anymore given everything that's happened up to this point. Even though this song didn't drop officially, fans still have some new Ye material to chew on, for better or worse. He and Ty Dolla Sign dropped the "Vultures" music video, plus visuals for "Talking / Once Again."
Meanwhile, with another listening party in New York tonight (February 9), maybe this is when the album will actually drop. Until then, Vultures seems more like a fleeting idea, performance art concept, or just a dream that we're still living in. With bars like these, we just hope that there's another side to the story to keep the balance. For more news and the latest updates on Kanye West, stick around on HNHH.