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The following is a list of unreleased Kanye West projects in rough chronological order. During his career, American rapper
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
has developed several projects which were never formally published. Some were officially canceled or scrapped, while others fell into
development hell Development hell, also known as development purgatory or development limbo, is media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in a stage of early development for a long time because of legal, technical, or artistic ...
. The level of completion of these projects vary widely, with some never leaving pre-production and others being nearly finished.


Music projects


''World Record Holders''

In 1996, West—alongside GLC, Timmy G, and Arrowstar—formed a Chicago rap group called the Go Getters. The group recorded a number of songs and made local radio appearances, but their debut album, ''World Record Holders'', was never officially released.


1997 beat tape

A set of eight tracks, allegedly from an unreleased beat tape West produced in 1997, was uploaded to
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
in May 2016. '' XXL'' found it to be plausible that the tape was authentic, and identified one of the beats as an early version of Infamous Syndicate's " What You Do to Me".


''The College Dropout'' alternate version

West's original version of ''
The College Dropout ''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. In the years leading up to its release, West had received praise for his p ...
'' was leaked online months before release, and in response he made several changes to the album's instrumentation and mixing. The removed tracks include a song called "My Way", as well as early versions of the eventual ''
Late Registration ''Late Registration'' is the second studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions held a ...
'' tracks " Hey Mama" and "
Gold Digger A gold digger is a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional sexual relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold di ...
". Featured appearances by
Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), known professionally as Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which forme ...
and Consequence were also removed.


''Good Ass Job''

West initially intended to release his first four albums as a college-themed series, with ''Good Ass Job'' being the final album. ''Good Ass Job'' was foreshadowed in some of West's earlier songs; for instance, the track "Graduation Day" on ''The College Dropout'' alluded to the title with the lyric "She wants me to get a good ass job just like everybody." West also revealed this intention to
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
in 2003, before ''
The College Dropout ''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. In the years leading up to its release, West had received praise for his p ...
'' release. West adhered to this plan with ''
Late Registration ''Late Registration'' is the second studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions held a ...
'' and ''
Graduation A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called Commencement speech, commencement, Congregation (university), congregation, Convocat ...
'', but after the death of his mother Donda West and his breakup with fiancée Alexis Phifer, he pivoted to an
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
project titled ''
808s & Heartbreak ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Stud ...
'' for his fourth album in 2008. In a January 2009 interview with French magazine ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'', West changed the upcoming album's title to ''Winter-Spring-Summer-Fall'', featuring 12 songs, with three songs for each season. That September, West received worldwide controversy and criticism for interrupting
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
during her acceptance of the award for Best Female Video during the
2009 MTV Video Music Awards The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was ...
, referring to "
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" is a song by American singer Beyoncé from her third studio album, '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (2008). Columbia Records released "Single Ladies" as a single on October 8, 2008, as a double A-side alongside " If I ...
" as being "one of the best videos of all time." The incident was a turning point in ''Good Ass Job'', prompting West's decision to exile himself to
Oahu, Hawaii Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northw ...
. Via ''
Rap Radar Elliott Wilson (born January 14, 1971) is an American journalist, television producer, and magazine editor. He is the founder and CEO of ''Rap Radar''. In the past, he has worked as editor-in-chief of '' XXL Magazine''. While there, he became kn ...
'' in February 2010, incoming
GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...
rapper
Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
confirmed that the project was still under the title ''Good Ass Job'';
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
also corroborated the title that July. However, on October 5, 2010, West announced the title's change to ''
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' is the fifth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 22, 2010. Retreating to a self-imposed exile in Hawaii after a period of ...
'', claiming it was always the title during the production. The same month, he confirmed to
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
about why he changed it:
changed it because I didn't want to do the ''Good Ass Job'' thing and have to stick to the skits and everything that went with that. ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' and my album cover are just... those things are just awesome. It's really proper, decadent, soulful, lavishness, and it's exactly what I wanna say.
On September 17, 2018, West made a surprise appearance at
Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...
's Open Mike event, revealing that he and Chance were working on an album titled ''Good Ass Job''. After the announcement, no further updates took place, and by the following year it was assumed that the album had been abandoned. Despite the scrapped idea, West has stated that his recording sessions with Chance helped West reconnect with his roots and faith in
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
. The song "
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
", which originated from these sessions, is credited as the catalyst for the creation of ''Yandhi''.


"RoboCop" music video

On March 11, 2009, '' Clash'' reported that West was shooting a
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for the song with his then-girlfriend Amber Rose. It was recorded in Los Angeles after West had to persuade Rose to fly there for the shooting. Speaking to
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
four months later, Rose said that she plays a robot throughout the video and appears alone for 95 percent of it. During an on-set interview, West expressed that the visual was inspired by his love for video games, characterizing making a video look equally good to a game as "the holy grail". He explained that rather than utilizing
computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...
, the "intensity" should come off the screen. The music video was directed by
Hype Williams Harold "Hype" Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video and film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adelphi Univ ...
. Although the video did not experience an official release, Shihan Barbee shared a 13-second
stop-motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...
clip from it to
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
on August 8, 2014. Accompanying the clip, Barbee posted: "Wish he had released this video. Super dope." The clip has a pink
technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
backdrop, which West stands in front while wearing a tuxedo that accompanies his faux hawk and tucking his hands in his pockets. West stands face-to-face with a nude robot that has Rose's head digitally inserted onto it with the addition of sunglasses; she makes robotic movements simultaneously with him rapping. At certain points, West makes exaggerated faces to the camera. The full version of the music video was leaked in October 2024.


''Watch the Throne 2''

In December 2011,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
stated in an interview with
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
that a sequel to '' Watch the Throne'' would be released after solo projects from Jay-Z and West. In May 2012, ''Watch the Throne'' co-producer Mike Dean stated in an interview that ''Watch the Throne 2'' was being planned. Jay-Z reiterated in an August 2013 interview with Power 106 that a sequel to ''Watch the Throne'' was being planned. When paparazzi asked West about ''Watch the Throne 2,'' he said “Stop talking to me” and then attacked him when he asked again. On April 5, 2016, Drake released " Pop Style", featuring West and Jay-Z, as a single for ''Views''. However, when the album released, West and Jay-Z's features were removed. West blamed the removed verses on exclusivity deals by
Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
and Tidal. While performing in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
during the Saint Pablo Tour, West said that ''Watch the Throne 2'' would not be released, blaming Jay-Z for removing West's verse from the song. In September 8, 2018, West tweeted that Watch the Throne 2 was "coming soon." At the time, it was not clear if West and Jay-Z were in contact as West stated in a May 2018 interview that he had not been in contact with Jay-Z since the Saint Pablo Tour speech. It was reported in October 2018 that Jay-Z had severed ties with West over West's political rants in support of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
. In November 2018, Meek Mill released ''Championships'', which features a Jay-Z guest appearance on "What's Free". Jay-Z references West on the song, rapping "No
red hat Red Hat, Inc. (formerly Red Hat Software, Inc.) is an American software company that provides open source software products to enterprises and is a subsidiary of IBM. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North ...
, don’t
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
and
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
me and Ye." Soon after the release, Jay-Z clarified on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that the line was not a diss against West; West responded suggesting a ''Watch the Throne'' sequel. In July 2021, West previewed the song "
Jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...
", which featured Jay-Z, at a '' Donda'' listening party in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. The song sparked speculation that a ''Watch the Throne'' sequel was in development, with Jay-Z rapping: "This might be the return of The Throne." The following month, West affiliate Justin Laboy stated that ''Watch the Throne 2'' was to release later that year. In an October 2022 ''Drink Champs'' interview, West again stated that ''Watch the Throne 2'' was "coming soon."


''Cruel Winter''

In September 2012, American rapper Q-Tip was questioned about his lack of involvement on '' Cruel Summer'' and stated, "I know, I know, I'm sorry about that but I have to let the cat out of the bag. Kanye's probably gonna get... if there's a Cruel Summer then there's got to be a Cruel Winter, right?" He confirmed the project to be in the works the following month, with
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
referring to it as a "Q-Tip/Kanye thing". Big Sean also confirmed ''Cruel Winter'' to be coming soon, and Malik Yusef, a songwriter and artist signed to the
GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...
label, posted a photo of him and West on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
in the studio. Despite others confirming the project, fellow rapper
Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...
said it was nothing more than a "rumor". In July 2013, Travis Scott stated that West may release ''Cruel Winter'' "out of nowhere"; conversely, Pusha T declared that it would not release due to the number of projects West was working on. In October 2015, after more than two years without updates on ''Cruel Winter'', a rumored tracklist was posted by ''
AllHipHop ''AllHipHop'' is a hip-hop news website founded by Greg Watkins and Chuck Creekmur in 1998. History The website was founded in 1998 by Greg Watkins and Chuck Creekmur. In 1997, Watkins registered the allhiphop.com domain to promote the artist ...
''. The project's ongoing development was confirmed in February 2016 by Cyhi the Prynce, who stated "there was a lot of work done for ''Cruel Winter''." On June 3, 2016, a single titled " Champions" was released by GOOD Music as the lead single for ''Cruel Winter''; the track includes appearances from West,
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
, Big Sean,
2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
, Travis Scott,
Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, and record executive. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—''Youngsta's on a Come Up'' (1996), ''From da Dope ...
, Quavo, and Desiigner. It initially aired on Big Boy's 92.3, as a yet-untitled single, before being officially released via digital download and streaming services on June 12, 2016. West also teased a 12–15 minute version of the song with the GOOD Music roster, though the idea was later abandoned. In September 2016, Scott announced his role as executive producer for ''Cruel Winter'', and told Hot 97.3 that the album would be released next year. In March 2017, when Cyhi was asked about ''Cruel Winter'', he said West was in "good spirits" and teased a song on the album with him and Sean he called "crazy". By November 2017, Cyhi said the album would come out right after his album. However, no updates on ''Cruel Winter'' have been announced since then, and the album is presumed to have been officially scrapped.


''Yeezus 2''

Under the working title ''Yeezus 2'', West initially planned to release a sequel to
Yeezus ''Yeezus'' is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production, includi ...
either with new material or leftovers from the previous album. It was confirmed on December 2013 when he announced a minimalist eight-track album, saying it was done mid-way. He planned to release it by "next summer" and reportedly worked with Q-Tip and
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...
as producers. West stated his album was unnamed, stating "I haven't named my album. But I have started on it." It was speculated that American singer
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
missed her post- VMA party to record with West, which was later confirmed when a remix for "
Black Skinhead "Black Skinhead" (also stylized as "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD") is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). It was produced by West and Daft Punk. The song's lyrics center on racial tensions and the crumbling ...
", additionally featuring rapper Travis Scott, leaked online. The album was renamed ''So Help Me God'' as its artistic direction began to change, later going by the name '' Swish'' before finally releasing as ''
The Life of Pablo ''The Life of Pablo'' is the seventh studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 14, 2016, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, ...
''. In 2017, one of Cyhi the Prynce's
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
playlists titled ''ypm'' was revealed by
Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
to feature six tracks that were possibly meant for ''Yeezus 2'', unavailable to the public until it leaked in July 2024. The tracks' titles are acronyms of the songs: "333", "MM", "WISI", "W", "OO", and "AY", sparking speculation from fans, such as "W" standing for "
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
" and "OO" standing for " Only One".


''So Help Me God''

After the abandonment of the ''Yeezus 2'' concept, West began planning to succeed ''Yeezus'' with an album titled ''So Help Me God''. In a February 2015 appearance on '' The Breakfast Club'', West stated that he had an album that was "80 percent done" that he intended for an eventual surprise release. On March 1, West announced ''So Help Me God'' as his planned title for the album. Alongside the announcement, he posted an image—speculated to be the planned album cover—of a diamond shape with lowercase "m" shapes at each vertex. The image was identified as a 13th-century monastic symbol that represented the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. Prior to the announcement, West had held a listening party in September 2014 at which the album was played. He also released several singles for ''So Help Me God'' in 2014 and 2015, including " Only One", "
FourFiveSeconds "FourFiveSeconds" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, American rapper Kanye West, and English musician Paul McCartney. It was written and produced by McCartney, West, Mike Dean, Dave Longstreth and Noah Goldstein with additional ...
", and " All Day". Each of these singles featured contributions from
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
, who also collaborated with West on an unreleased track titled "Piss on Your Grave" that leaked in August 2014. A version of "Piss on Your Grave" was eventually released on Travis Scott's album ''
Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...
''. Based on its singles, music writers predicted that ''So Help Me God'' would be a "mellow" pop album focused on family and maturity. West has described the planned sound of ''So Help Me God'' as "cookout music that just feels good", and compared its themes to "
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
". He additionally contrasted it against ''Yeezus'', stating that while Yeezus was "a protest of music", ''So Help Me God'' would be "embracing the music ndembracing joy". Theophilus London, who wrote a song planned for the album, reported in March 2015 that West was continually revising the album. In May 2015, West announced that he was changing the title of his next album to ''Swish''. West changed the album's title again in January and February 2016, briefly titling the album ''Waves'' before ultimately releasing it as ''
The Life of Pablo ''The Life of Pablo'' is the seventh studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 14, 2016, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, ...
''. He did not disclose why he changed the album's title, but ''DJBooth'' has speculated that the poor chart performance of "All Day" was what led West to scrap his original plans for ''So Help Me God''.


Drake collaborative studio album

In February 2015, West revealed that his song "
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
"—which debuted at his Yeezy Season fashion show earlier that month—had been conceived out of talks with Canadian rapper
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
over a potential joint album. When ''The Life of Pablo'' released the following year, Drake was credited as a co-writer on the track " 30 Hours". Upon the advent of Drake's 2016 studio album ''Views'', West would frequently refer to an upcoming collaborative project with the artist, once at OVO Fest and again at a stop during his Saint Pablo Tour. Drake would also mention the possibility of a joint mixtape with West in an interview with
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
on his
Beats 1 Apple Music 1, previously branded as Beats 1, is a 24/7 music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc. It is accessible through iTunes or the Apple Music app on a computer, smartphone or tablet, smart speaker (such as the Apple HomePod), ...
radio show. A green billboard with the tagline "Calabasas is the new Abu Dhabi" appeared in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in August 2016 and featured the logos of both Drake's
OVO Sound OVO Sound (short for October's Very Own) is a Canadian independent record label, founded in 2012 by rapper Drake, producer 40, and manager Oliver El-Khatib. The label operated as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group until 2022, after which it ...
and West's
GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...
labels, right before the latter's appearance at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. The two artists wouldn't collaborate again until the release of Drake's 2017 commercial mixtape '' More Life'', where West produced and appeared on the mixtape's fifth single " Glow". All prospects of a joint album between the two artists were shattered in 2018 with the release of
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
's studio album ''Daytona'', which was entirely produced by West. On the album's last track "
Infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...
", Pusha T sparked a days-long feud with Drake after questioning his songwriting ability. This was immediately followed by Drake responding with his song " Duppy Freestyle", where he criticized both Pusha T and West, and culminated with the release of Pusha T's diss track "
The Story of Adidon ''"''The Story of Adidon''"'' is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Pusha T. It was released on May 29, 2018 on SoundCloud, amidst his feud with Canadian rapper Drake. The track is a response to Drake's " Duppy Freestyle". The ...
". Drake and West would seemingly reconcile their differences when the two put on a one-off concert for the benefit of imprisoned Chicago gangster
Larry Hoover Larry Hoover Sr. (born November 30, 1950)"Larry Hoover"
''Biography.com''. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
in December 2021, where both artist's performed each other's songs on stage at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...
. During a livestreamed interview with
DJ Akademiks Livingston George Allen, known professionally as DJ Akademiks (or simply Akademiks, or by his stage name Lil AK), is a Jamaican-American podcaster, YouTuber and live streamer who specializes in music industry music journalism, journalism. Afte ...
in April 2025, West disclosed that he had previously reached out to Drake in an effort to feature him on the intro to his visual album ''Bully'', but was unequivocally turned down by the artist, though he did maintain that he was hopeful the two would eventually work on a future album together someday: West had already been defending Drake in a series of tweets during his resurgence on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
earlier in the year, also claiming in a previous interview with DJ Akademiks that Drake is, "a million times better than Kendrick and a million times more important", in reference to his ongoing feud with rapper
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
.


Rihanna's eighth studio album

At the 2015 Grammy Awards, West announced that he would be the executive producer of
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
's next album. West went on to produce Rihanna's 2015 singles "
FourFiveSeconds "FourFiveSeconds" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, American rapper Kanye West, and English musician Paul McCartney. It was written and produced by McCartney, West, Mike Dean, Dave Longstreth and Noah Goldstein with additional ...
", " American Oxygen", and "
Bitch Better Have My Money "Bitch Better Have My Money" (otherwise known in clean and radio versions as "B**** Better Have My Money" or simply "Better Have My Money") is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was written by Rihanna, Bibi Bourelly, producer Deputy, co-prod ...
", but stepped down as executive producer of the full album in January 2016, reportedly to finish recording his seventh studio album ''
The Life of Pablo ''The Life of Pablo'' is the seventh studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 14, 2016, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, ...
''. When Rihanna released '' Anti'' later in 2016, the track listing did not include any of the three singles written and produced by West, nor did any of the songs featured on the album include any contributions from him.


''Chiraq''

In 2020, designer Joe Perez revealed on Instagram that West had once commissioned him for art connected to a project titled ''Chiraq''. Little is known about the nature of the project, but Grant Rindner of ''GQ'' has noted that the timing would have coincided with
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
's film '' Chi-Raq''. West was not involved in the final version of Lee's ''Chi-Raq'', though ''Pitchfork'' reported that he had been considered as a possible contributor to its soundtrack.


''Turbo Grafx 16''

Only ten days after the initial release of ''The Life of Pablo'', West announced his eighth studio album under the name, ''Turbo Grafx 16'', named after the video game console of the same name. The same month, West associate Ibn Jasper posted a photo on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
showing West with longtime collaborators Mike Dean, Plain Pat, and
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
in a recording studio working on the album. During the production of the album, West worked with emerging artists Lil Yachty,
Vic Mensa Victor Kwesi Mensah (born June 6, 1993), known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days (band), Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing ...
, Offset, and Quavo, as well as Big Sean and
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
. However, ''Turbo Grafx 16'' did not release in its intended time, with West taking off on the Saint Pablo Tour during the fall of 2016. By November 2016, after West's rant on the final show and his hospitalization, the album was scrapped. Early versions of seven ''Turbo Grafx 16'' songs were leaked online, including collaborations with artists such as
Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams II (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop music, hip hop and trap music ...
and
A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mo ...
. Jem Aswad of '' Variety'' has described the sound of the leaked tracks as "West's take on trap".


''Love Everyone''

In April 2018, West posted a screenshot of a text message conversation to Twitter. In the screenshot, he asked a friend for title suggestions for his upcoming album, and the friend suggested ''Love Everyone''. In the same conversation, West expressed his intention for the album's cover to feature an image of Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who operated on West's mother Donda shortly before her death. West explained his thinking by stating that he "want dto forgive and stop hating". Adams responded to the post with an open letter, requesting that his image not be used on the album. In May, West played ''Love Everyone'' at an interview with
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
. Little material from the album has been heard publicly, but it is thought to have featured artists such as
Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...
,
The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
, Travis Scott,
The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...
, and Ant Clemons. In an interview with Charlamagne tha God, West stated that ''Love Everyone'' would be a "therapeutic" album and described it as comparable to his track " Real Friends". At his TMZ interview, West made controversial comments about slavery. Multiple outlets have speculated that the backlash to West's remarks led him to abandon his original plans for ''Love Everyone'' and adapt the album into '' Ye''.


Wyoming Sessions albums

After his original run of albums made during sessions in Wyoming, West had planned to release multiple others in the following months. He had planned to release as many as 52 albums during the Wyoming Sessions, as he told a ''New York Times'' reporter during a listening session for '' Ye''.


Bump J and Sly Polaroid EP

In an interview with Fake Shore Drive, Bump J was asked why he and fellow Goon Squad member Sly Polaroid had been recently pictured with West in Wyoming. In response, he revealed that he had been planning a collaborative album with Sly Polaroid produced by West, with co-production by BoogzDaBeast. Ronny J is also believed to have contributed production, as he was featured in an Instagram post West made of a studio session with him and Bump J. The last time West had done production for Bump J was on his 2006 mixtape ''Chicagorilla''.


Cyhi the Prynce album

West had previously planned a "
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
&
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
" styled collaborative album, with Cyhi the Prynce tweeting that his 2015 song "Elephant in the Room" was originally created for it, with West giving him the instrumental and concept of the song. West would begin work on an album for Cyhi on June 11, 2018, with Cyhi tweeting that West had started putting aside multiple song ideas for him. Cyhi would claim on June 29 that two of West's next Wyoming albums were completed, but weren't released as he "
anted Anted is the name of the coins issued by Antedios (or Anted), an ancient king of the Iceni, a Brythonic tribe who inhabited the present day county of Norfolk in Britain from approximately the 1st century BCE until the 1st century CE. Only the fi ...
to do another one". In June 2019, he would once again claim that he and West were working on "a few albums" together, including his own album, meant to be released by the end of the Summer.


''Yandhi''

On September 17, 2018, West announced his ninth studio album ''Yandhi'', revealing the cover art and initial release date of September 29, 2018. The tracklist included tracks such as " We Got Love" with Teyana Taylor and American singer
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...
(originally intended for ''
K.T.S.E. ''K.T.S.E.'' (an initialism of ''Keep That Same Energy'') is the second studio album by American recording artist Teyana Taylor, released on June 22, 2018, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. Following the release of ''VII (Teyana Taylor alb ...
''), " New Body", featuring
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
, "The Storm", "Bye Bye Baby", "
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
", "Alien / SpaceX", "Last Name", "Sky City", "Garden", and "Chakras". While ''Yandhi'' did not release in its initial date, West was the musical guest for the season 44 premiere of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. The following day, Universal Music Publishing Group accidentally leaked that the initial version of the album was to be eight tracks long. After missing its initial date, it was rescheduled to November 23, 2018, announced by Kim Kardashian on October 1. That same day of the announcement, West visited the
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
offices for an interview, admitting that the album was not finished yet and that he would be going to Africa in two weeks to continue recording for ''Yandhi''. West talked about recording in Chicago and how he "felt the roots" but wanted to go further his energy by touching African soil and recording in nature. On October 12, 2018, West arrived in
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
and restarted work on the album in a dome-shaped studio set up in the Chobe Safari Lodge at the Murchison Falls National Park. West arrived with around 50 people and recorded for five days. He played new music, including a studio recording of the "We Got Love" remix, for a group of about 100 Ugandan school children during a charity event. In an October 21, 2018, interview, American rapper Quavo stated that his trio
Migos Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...
had recorded for the album. In November 2018, following a Kids See Ghosts performance with Kid Cudi at American rapper
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
's Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, West tweeted that he felt ''Yandhi'' was not finished, and that he would "announce the release date once it's done," delaying the album indefinitely. By 2019, West went through a dramatic conversion towards born-again
evangelical Christianity Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
, including the formation of the
Sunday Service Choir The Sunday Service Choir (commonly referred as Sunday Service) is an American gospel group led by rapper Kanye West and conducted by choir director Jason White. Beginning in January 2019, and initially produced by Jack and Michael Skolnick, the g ...
and a performance at
Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
on
Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
, influencing the evolution of ''Yandhi'' to what was eventually released on October 19th as his ninth studio album, ''
Jesus Is King ''Jesus Is King'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings on October 25, 2019. It follows a Christianity, Christian theme, in stark contrast from previous works by West, w ...
.'' On May 1, 2025, West announced that he planned to release ''Yandhi''. This was revealed whilst on a
Kick A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of ...
livestream with Sneako and Neon. This came after Sneako asked when "Alien" (a song from ''Yandhi'') would come out, to which West responded: "We gotta release Yandhi"; both streamers agreed he should do it.


''Kids See Ghosts 2''

In 2019,
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
teased ''Kids See Ghosts 2'', the sequel to ''
Kids See Ghosts Kids See Ghosts (stylized in all caps) were an American hip hop superduo composed of rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed during West's 2018 Wyoming sessions, the duo's first album ''Kids See Ghosts'' was released in June of that year by ...
'', multiple times. According to an interview with ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'', Kid Cudi assured fans that more material from him and West are coming: However, ''Kids See Ghosts 2'' never came to fruition, as West and Kid Cudi began feuding in February 2022. That April, Kid Cudi announced that Pusha T's song "Rock n Roll", on which both Cudi and West were featured, would be the two artists' final collaboration. However, Cudi and West eventually reconciled during a December 2023 listening session, and Cudi subsequently appeared on the '' Vultures 2'' track "Gun to My Head".


''Jesus is King: The Dr. Dre Version''

On November 18, 2019, West announced a remix version of ''
Jesus is King ''Jesus Is King'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings on October 25, 2019. It follows a Christianity, Christian theme, in stark contrast from previous works by West, w ...
'' with American producer-rapper
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
. On January 16, 2020, a Dr. Dre-produced version of " Up from the Ashes" (which later appeared on '' Donda'') leaked onto
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. These uploads were later taken down due to copyright claims. Another track, titled " LA Monster", also leaked two months later. In June 2020, American rapper
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
posted a video of Dr. Dre and West working on ''Jesus is King: The Dr. Dre Version''. Later that year, West thanked American rapper
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
for rapping on Dr. Dre's remix of "
Use This Gospel "Use This Gospel" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his ninth studio album, ''Jesus Is King'' (2019). The song features guest appearances from Hip hop music, hip hop duo Clipse and jazz saxophonist Kenny G. It was produced by West, A ...
", which was officially released two years later on
DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...
's studio album, '' God Did''. However, West and Dr. Dre parted their ways and have not made updates on the remix album, with West focusing on ''Donda'', his 2020 presidential campaign, Donda Academy, and Yeezy merch, while Dr. Dre had a turbulent following year, with a near-fatal brain aneurysm, his home being burglarized, and eventual divorce.


''Carti Ye''

Prior to the release of
Playboi Carti Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...
's ''
Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
'' (2025), he and West had been working on a collaborative album, ''Carti Ye''. West pulled out of the project in March 2025 out of anger that his ''Music'' features were cut, which he blamed on Jews. He posted the cover art on Twitter, which features West in a
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
-inspired hood and Carti in a fur coat and hood.


''Vultures 3''

West announced his and
Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...
's ''Vultures'' series of collaborative albums as a trilogy, beginning with '' Vultures 1'' in February 2024. '' Vultures 2'' and ''3'' were planned to follow in March and April. ''Vultures 2'' experienced multiple delays and was not released until August. By 2025, ''Vultures 3'' remained unreleased. In January, Ty Dolla Sign said it was still planned and would "rip heads off". He reaffirmed this during a March performance with Peso Pluma, despite West having sparked controversy for antisemitic rants on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
in the preceding month. However, in April, West indicated that ''Vultures 3'' had been canceled due to his antisemitic statements straining his relationship with Ty Dolla Sign.


Other ventures


Pastelle clothing line

Prior to launching Yeezy with
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
in 2013, West attempted to enter into the fashion world with his original clothing line, Pastelle, as early as 2007. Daniel Beckerman, co-founder of Italian sunglass brand Retrosuperfuture, received an email from West's talent agency, informing him that West wanted to collaborate with him. Shortly after, West assembled a team of 30 designers, consultants and collaborators, to advance the fashion brand Pastelle. GOOD Music-signed musician and designer Taz Arnold praised the brand, and later joined the crew as a consultant the following year. Kaws, who designed the album cover for ''
808s & Heartbreak ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Stud ...
'', was hired to help craft the brand's logo, along with Kim Jones, who was
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
's men's artistic director at the time. Pastelle was meant to appeal to both men and women with a range of color palettes, including clothing, accessories, jewelry, and footwear. However, by the fall of 2009, many contributors to the Pastelle brand learned it was brought to a stop through online sources, losing direct contact with West and others, as the brand was later scrapped.


''A Little Inappropriate''

In 2007, West pitched ''A Little Inappropriate'', a comedy-drama TV series, to
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, influenced by other HBO TV series such as '' Entourage'' and ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...
''. However, the pilot was rejected by HBO, and eventually leaked in full via
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
on June 2023.


''Alligator Boots''

In 2007, West envisioned the puppet-based sketch comedy TV series, ''Alligator Boots'', which he co-created with Rhymefest. It was meant as a dirty, irreverent spoof of ''
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...
'', hosted by West. According to video director and animator Konee Rok, Kanye met with
Jimmy Kimmel James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967), known professionally as Jimmy Kimmel, is an American television host, comedian, writer, voice actor, and producer. He has been the host and executive producer of '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-n ...
, who was working on '' Crank Yankers'' and a co-founder of Jackhole Productions, and suggested to Kimmel that they collaborate to create ''Alligator Boots''. It was later pitched to
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
, with a $1 million budget and shot in under five days on the Jim Henson Company Lot. During the production of ''Alligator Boots'', West was the only human star, but came with an idea about a love interest, and decided to bring
Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
into his show, which was the first time they met. On October 16, 2024, the full pilot for ''Alligator Boots'' was leaked on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
.


Fame Kills

In June 2009,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
announced on '' The View'' he would be touring with
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
. The tour would have supported West's fourth album ''
808s & Heartbreak ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Stud ...
'' and Gaga's ''
The Fame Monster ''The Fame Monster'' is a reissue of American singer Lady Gaga's debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). It was released on November 17, 2009, by Interscope Records, Streamline Records, KonLive Distribution, and Cherrytree Records. Initially ...
'' EP. It was scheduled to run from November 2009 to January 2010, but was canceled after public controversy regarding West's interruption of
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
's Best Female Video speech at the
2009 MTV Video Music Awards The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was ...
.


''Yeezus'' concert film

In February 2014, West uploaded a trailer for a concert film based on The Yeezus Tour to his website. It featured speedy shots of the tour, showing horses running in snow and West wearing his masks. Author
Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack (literary), Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts ...
revealed around the same time of the trailer that he was working with the rapper on a project, after having re-imagined a scene from ''
American Psycho ''American Psycho'' is a black comedy horror novel by American writer Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the First-person narrative, first-person by Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, narcissistic, and vain Manhattan investmen ...
'' (2000) for a promotional clip of the tour. Ellis was reluctant to write for the film until he listened to an advance copy of ''Yeezus'' in the summer of 2013; he then crafted a script in "Kanye land". The film was set to be shot by director
Hype Williams Harold "Hype" Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video and film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adelphi Univ ...
, who previously directed music videos for West's singles like "
Gold Digger A gold digger is a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional sexual relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold di ...
", " Stronger", and " Heartless". In October 2023, Williams explained to ''Complex'' how after he shot the film with West in Chicago and Toronto, the two engaged in a dress rehearsal with attention to detail so intense that they lost its original meaning. West was working on ''The Life of Pablo'' at this time, therefore he and Williams instead decided to shoot videos for the album. The director and Scooter Braun spent six months negotiating with
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
for the film's release, although it was discarded due to West's personal issues after his then-wife
Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
was robbed in Paris. Williams revealed that nobody, not even West himself, has viewed the film and it was filmed in 2014; he compared its significance to an unreleased recording from the likes of
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
or
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
.


''Only One'' video game

In February 2015, West announced a video game based on his mother, Donda West, was in the works. The game is revealed to be titled ''Only One'', after the song of the same name, along with it being released as an
iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
app, created by
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
-based film and animation studio Encyclopedia Pictura. The first trailer was revealed during the Yeezy Season 3 fashion show and ''The Life of Pablo'' release party on February 11, 2016. The game's concept is that the players plays Donda West as she ascends to the highest levels of heaven, avoiding obstacles along the way. However, by November 2016, the game was scrapped.


''Kids See Ghosts'' (computer-animated series)

On June 26, 2020, a computer-animated series directed by artist
Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial media (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between High art, high and low arts. His wo ...
was announced via social media, with Kid Cudi stating that it was "coming soon." The series chronicles the adventures of Kanye Bear, the character portrayed on West's first three album covers, and Kid Fox, a character created exclusively for the show, both acting as their cartoon personas for the artists. However, no scheduled release date was announced, and it was likely scrapped due to the group's initial split.


Notes


References

{{Kanye West Kanye West Lists of unreleased songs by recording artists Unreleased albums