It would appear that, unless he pulls out one of his signature bamboozles, Kanye West will indeed be dropping his anticipated Donda album at midnight tonight. Though fans have largely reached the seeing is believing phase, it cannot be denied that Yeezy is actively engaging in his own unconventional sort of rollout.
Last night at approximately 1 AM EST, Apple Music launched an exclusive live stream event in their app, broadcasting footage from Kanye West's living quarters at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The fixed camera angle reveals a countdown, steadily ticking away until the presumed Donda drop, as a variety of visitors sit down and converse.
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Over the course of the night, Chance The Rapper, The LOX, Vic Mensa, Mike Dean, Steve Lacy, Fivio Foreign, and more stopped through -- though let it be known, the audio has been left deliberately muted for obvious reasons. At one point, Yeezy was seen doing pushups while rocking a Donda vest; later, he returned looking like a steampunk-inspired Balenciaga clad villain. At some stage during the night, the bedroom appears to have been cleared in order to accommodate an increased number of guests.
As of this moment, the stream is still ongoing and can be seen exclusively on Apple Music. Later tonight, Kanye is set to kick off the official Donda release event at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium; it is assumed that the album will be released shortly thereafter, though being that this is Kanye West we're talking about -- a last-minute delay wouldn't be the most shocking development.
To his credit, however, he appears locked in on a creative level, and this live stream is another example of his boundary-pushing artistry in action. Love him or hate him, he's got style. Look for more news on Donda as the livestream unfolds throughout the day.