Mike Dean has been producing, mixing, and mastering Kanye West's music for years now, having originally connected after Yeezy heard Dean's mix on Scarface's "Guess Who's Back." Since then, he has contributed to the majority of Ye's catalog, including his favorite of the bunch, Yeezus.
Now, he's once again been tapped to handle business behind the boards for the upcoming Donda, which is currently projected for an early August release. Though that wasn't always the case, as the project was originally slated to drop on July 23rd. In a turn of events not entirely dissimilar to the pre-Ye rollout of the Surgical Summer, Dean was left scrambling to mix and master the album in time for its big release.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, Donda was pushed back, giving Mike Dean a larger window to finish up. Essentially diving headlong into his work, many fans were quick to note that the generally active producer had gone quiet on social media. Before long, an outlandish narrative formed in which Dean was being held hostage by Kanye West, to the point where Dean himself took a moment to address the "concerned" parties.
"Thank you for your concern," he recites, in a deadpan voice. In another similar message, he addresses his Twitter followers directly. "Twitter, everything is okay," he says. "I am fine. I am working. And I am fine." Of course, that didn't stop some from suggesting that he's being held at gunpoint -- but the internet will do what it does and there's really no stopping it.
Check out Mike Dean's reassuring message below, and rest easy knowing that Mike Dean is safe and sound, doing what he loves at that. Look for his work on Donda to hit streaming platforms early August, provided Kanye holds to his intended release schedule. For more from Mike Dean, check out our recent interview with the legendary producer right here.