The vultures were circling Wednesday after Kanye West suggested he’s ready to retire from the music industry.
The pioneering rapper helped redefine hip-hop during the 2000s and 2010s, but his legacy has been tarnished by accusations of anti-Semitism and his vocal support for controversial former US President Donald Trump.
West, 47, is expected to release Vultures 2, the second of three planned albums with Ty Dolla Sign, later this year.
But a recently released text conversation, purportedly between West and fellow rapper Rich The Kid, suggests he’s ready to throw in the towel on his 20-year career in music.
News of his possible retirement from public life sparked an inevitably mixed response on social media, with die-hard fans urging him to continue while others expressed relief at West’s possible retirement.
The vultures were circling Wednesday after Kanye West suggested he’s ready to retire from the music industry.
A recently released text conversation, purportedly between West and fellow rapper Rich The Kid, suggests he’s ready to throw in the towel on his 20-year career in music.
On X, the old Twitter, one follower, evidently unimpressed with West’s recent output, wrote: “At least he won’t ruin his discog anymore.”
A second added: “Oh thank God.”
While a third snapped: “Well he’s done and he’s just ruining his legacy.”
A fourth commented: “Leaving his legacy with Vultures 1 is crazy.”
The text from a person believed to be West read: “I’m retiring from professional music. I don’t know what else to do.”
Rich then attempted to convince the father of four to reconsider his decision, even mentioning the recent success of his Vultures 1 album with rapper Ty Dolla Sign.
‘Retire? Why? How? People NEED the music you, Ty, and us have made to be the BIGGEST LABEL in the culture to date, in 2024,’ he wrote.
Rich was notably featured on West and Ty’s lead single, “Carnival,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it debuted in March.
News of his possible retirement from public life sparked an inevitably mixed response on social media, with many fans expressing relief at West’s possible retirement.
Their tenth studio album, Vultures 1 (pictured), was released on February 10. Vultures 2 is expected to be released later this year.
The song also marked West’s first No. 1 hit in 13 years, the last being Katy Perry’s 2011 single “ET.”
“Just drop the V2 thing and we’ll do it all over again,” Rich continued. “The kids need your big, fashionable bra. You might need some time to relax, but retirement, right?”
After news of West’s apparent retirement gained traction online, Rich deleted the screenshot from his Instagram Story.
This sparked speculation among fans that she might have made the post to generate hype for her upcoming album, Life’s A Gamble.
Just hours later, Rich returned to Instagram to reveal the release date, as well as a look at the tracklist which includes a new song featuring West.
West, who is rumored to have produced Life’s A Gamble with collaborator Ty Dolla $ign, will appear on track 16, titled Plain Jane.
Fans speculated that Rich may have made the post to generate hype for his upcoming album, Life’s A Gamble, which features West.
West has two certified Diamond songs (2007’s Stronger and 2011’s N***as in Paris with Jay-Z) and all 10 of his albums have been certified at least Gold.