The Best Features On Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures"

This past weekend, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign unleashed their debut collaborative album, Vultures 1. After a rocky rollout of listening parties and constant changes, including its release date, the album materialized with 16 tracks and a brand-new cover. Officially titled Vultures 1, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s full-length collaboration is reportedly the first of three separate volumes, with Part 2 expected to arrive on March 8 and Part 3 on April 5. These dates are to be considered in the context of Kanye’s notable history of delaying album releases. Vultures 1 may be a collaborative album between Kanye and Ty, but the duo also recruited numerous other guests throughout its tracklist. Today, we are ranking the best features on Vultures 1 from least to greatest. 

Featured on “Talking” is none other than Kanye West’s 10-year-old daughter, North West. She may be young and her appearance on the album is short, but her contributions are better than many other professional recording artists featured on Vultures 1. Her feature is not to be judged like the other musicians on the album, as she is simply having fun on the song. North’s quick verse is cheerful, catchy, and a wholesome moment between her and her father. She even emulates Kanye with her inflections and melodic rapping. Again, North West’s feature is meant to be a lively moment on a song about fatherhood.

“Do It” includes a short posthumous intro from Nipsey Hussle, as well as a guest verse from YG. The Compton native sticks to Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s lyrical themes of sex and money but has a moment to shine on his own. A prominent sample of Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” gets incorporated into the fast-paced instrumental as YG spits his verse. His West Coast gangsta rap style is perfect for the beat as he skips right across it. The addition of the sample makes his feature more effective, complimenting his flow and lyrics. Also, his and Ty Dolla $ign’s chemistry and deep collaborative history make for a standout moment on Vultures 1.

Quavo has worked with Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign on separate occasions. This time, they recruited the Migos member for “Paperwork,” a bizarre blend of hip hop and Brazilian funk. The production is quite abrasive with its distorted bassline, but Quavo’s auto-tuned melodies and ad-libs cut right through the beat. Out of the three, he sounds the most comfortable over the instrumental, floating over it with a catchy melody. Quavo often sounds great over light and airy production, but on “Paperwork,” he sits right on top of the beat as he provides his signature melodic bars.

Chris Brown is one of the standout features on Vultures 1. He and Kanye previously created magic on "Waves," and he worked with Ty Dolla $ign on tracks like "Only 4 Me." “Beg Forgiveness” is a six-minute highlight that allows him to occupy the spotlight alongside Ty. His acapella introduction starts the song on a heartfelt note. Futher, “Beg Forgiveness” builds around Chris Brown’s pitched-down vocals, matching the spacious production. Before Ty tests himself vocally towards the end of the song, Brown occupies the almost first three minutes with a rendition of Joe Goddard’s “Gabriel.” It makes for easily the album’s most soulful and musically compelling moment.

By a wide margin, Freddie Gibbs has the best verse on Vultures 1. While Kanye spends most of the song talking about how “beautiful, big t*tty, butt-naked women just don’t fall out the sky,” Gibbs completely reimagines this ridiculous refrain. He makes the song his own, smoothly flowing over the hard-hitting drum break. Freddie repurposes Kanye’s lyrics into a skillfully-crafted verse. He not only sounds good but drops some clever punchlines as well. Gibbs raps, “Just turned a bird b*tch to my ex like I was Elon” and “Standin' at the plate, your ho catchin' balls like a bat catcher.” He even switches his flows and rhyme schemes, impressing as he transitions between each line. Gibbs completely stole the show with his verse on “Back to Me,” outshining every other feature on Vultures 1. 

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