Vultures 1 marked a defiant return to the charts for Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign
In short: Released independently after major labels distanced themselves, Vultures 1 saw Kanye West abandon the religious themes of his recent work. The album, a collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign, navigated distribution chaos and controversy to top the Billboard 200, proving the rapper's enduring commercial pull despite his public struggles.
Vultures 1, the debut studio album from the supergroup ¥$—composed of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign—was released independently on February 10, 2024. The project emerged from a turbulent production period that began in Italy in October 2023 and continued in Saudi Arabia. During this time, West faced significant hurdles in securing a distributor, as major labels, including Universal Music Group, distanced themselves following his antisemitic comments in late 2022. The album itself underwent numerous tracklist changes and delays, with some songs like 'Everybody' and 'New Body' ultimately excluded due to clearance issues.
Musically, the album represents a departure from the clean, gospel-focused aesthetic of West's previous records, Jesus Is King (2019) and Donda (2021). Instead, it embraces explicit lyrics and a diverse sound palette incorporating house, R&B, trap, and industrial elements. Critics noted a return to the texture-focused production style reminiscent of West's earlier work, with tracks like 'Carnival'—which topped the US Billboard Hot 100—showcasing the group's ability to generate massive streaming numbers. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, West's 11th time achieving this feat, and reached the top spot in countries including Australia, Canada, and Germany.
The rollout was marked by unconventional strategies, including a brief, allegedly unauthorized distribution through the platform FUGA and a subsequent move to Label Engine. West also utilized his own YZY brand to sell merchandise and physical editions. Despite the controversies surrounding his public persona, the album's commercial performance remained robust, earning approximately $1,000,000 in its opening week. While the planned Vultures trilogy faced delays for subsequent volumes, the project solidified West's status as a resilient, if polarizing, force in hip-hop, with the artist himself framing the work as a survivalist triumph against cancellation.
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