Jay Electronica Claims Kanye West's "Bound 2" Was Inspired By Him

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.8K Views
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The Good Way
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 18: Recording artists Jay Electronica (L) and Slick Rick backstage at The Good Way at Sony Hall on September 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)
The two rappers have had a pretty close relationship over the years, so it's unsurprising that they would inspire each other's work.

Jay Electronica is a staunch supporter of Kanye West, whether it's during his highest highs or his lowest lows. In fact, the two have kept up a pretty close relationship over the years, so it's no surprise that the two would inspire and contribute to each other's work. Ye shouted him out on "Saint Pablo" off 2016's... you guessed it, The Life Of Pablo, and Electron' was a feature on his 2021 album Donda, specifically the cut "Jesus Lord." However, it seems like this bond might go deeper and even further back, as given a new tweet from the New Orleans MC around Friday (February 8), he might be responsible for one of Yeezy's biggest hits.

"#truestories," Jay Electronica began his message on the social media platform concerning the point of inspiration he offered Kanye West. "So when I was living in London, Ye and Virgil came to my house and stayed for a few days and I played them 'FatbellyBella' aka 'Life on Mars' and they eventually used that same melody line and sample for 'Bound 2.' Go listen." Both songs sample the 1977 record "Aeroplane (Reprise)" by Wee. Unfortunately, Jay never hopped on the remix, something that Kanye invited him to do for his collab with The Game, "Eazy."

Jay Electronica Recalls Kanye West & Virgil Abloh Visiting Him In London

Actually, there are a lot of instances in which these two MCs could've collaborated, but it just didn't end up panning out. A relatively recent example is from back in 2020, when Jay Electronica geared up to release his studio debut, ct II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn). Kanye West was supposed to make the tracklist as a feature, but given what Jay said during this process, they couldn't get permission cleared in time for the release. At least "Jesus Lord" came the very next year, so folks praying on a link-up could get their reward.

Meanwhile, both look forward to projects, apparently. You all probably know about Vultures, but Jay has another album on the way, reportedly titled Bismillah Boys, that he's been teasing for a long time. Given both their incredible skill, plus their fair share of controversies and backlash for antisemitic remarks, either release will surely be a pretty dense dive. With that in mind, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Kanye West and Jay Electronica.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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