Ye and Ty Dolla Sign Collab: What We know...

image courtesy of Instagram (@tydollasign)

Controversial rap star Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and fellow MC Ty Dolla $ign are likely to release a project in the coming weeks.
by Emery Brown

Controversial rap star Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and fellow MC Ty Dolla $ign are likely to release a project in the coming weeks. Here’s what we know so far:

It’s been two years since Ye dropped his last album Donda in August 2021. In the time since, his career seemed to have met its end following a series of incidents that caused many companies, organizations, artists, and fans to distance themselves from the musician. This was finalized upon his bigoted comments on a public podcast. Regardless, Kanye West still has a loyal audience looking forward to his next release.

In the past year, fans of the Chicago rapper have speculated on what this new album will be and when it will come out. Earlier this year Google listed a mysterious album titled Man Across the Sea under West’s name, slated for a May release. With that time frame having already passed with no album, many were disappointed. Hopes began to rise once more as ex-brother-in-law Travis Scott released his album UTOPIA in July. Ye had producer credits for the project and Scott brought him out on stage during his concert in Rome, in which Scott claimed, “There is no UTOPIA without Kanye West. There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West!”

This was Ye’s first performance since the controversies and fans were excited to see him on stage again. Once more, the Kanye West fandom was flooded with rumors of a new album, with two speculated titles being Yesuke and Change. The rumors of a new release would finally see some backing when on October 2, Ye filed twenty-six trademark applications under the name “YEWS”. Around that same time, footage surfaced showing him listening to an unreleased track in a remote studio in Italy. Leaks also suggested that the album featured collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign, who had worked with Ye previously. 

While many speculated whether or not we would actually see a new album, as West is known to announce albums only to not release them, it began to seem more and more likely as Billboard reported that the project had to be delayed from its initial October 13 release date as the pair shopped for distributors, this task being made more difficult as industry executives refused the offer due to Ye’s controversies. Nevertheless, this proved that the album is coming. 

On the twenty-third, Ty Dolla $ign posted on Instagram, the caption simply claiming, “multi-stadium listening event November 3.” The post itself simply showed the symbols for the Japanese Yen and the American Dollar. Some speculate that this is the title itself, joking that the phrase, “Yen Dollar'' is a play on “Ye ‘n’ Dolla.” Regardless of what the title will be, we finally have an official announcement of the project’s existence.

It’s unknown where these events will be held or if the album’s release will coincide with these events. Considering his relationships with the cities of Chicago and Atlanta, there’s a possibility that these parties could happen there but this is further complicated, yet again, by West’s reputation.

Despite any complications, fans of the two artists are on the edge of their seats, excited to hear what they’ve been cooking up after all this time, as they wait for the listening events scheduled for this Friday.