Recent social media posts from rappers Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have sparked speculation that a listening party could take place in Chicago this week.
The duo shared separate posts indicating the potential for a Thursday event at the United Center surrounding their upcoming collaborative album "Vultures," with a second slide simply showing the number "1."
In late November, the two rappers released their first single “Vultures," with the album, considered "Volume 1," reportedly set for release one day after the rumored Chicago party.
The Chicago event wouldn't be the first listening party for the album, however.
In December, the rappers held a listening party in Miami, where Ye's daughter with Kim Kardashian West, North West, reportedly debuted her new rap name in a song on the album.
The song, called "You Don't Want (North Interlude)" according to Genius, features North West singing, "I love it here / We're gonna take over another year / It's your bestie Miss, Miss Westie."
Local
The United Center currently does not have any event listed for Feb. 8 on its calendar, but Ticketmaster has a listing for a "Vultures Listening Party" staring at 9 p.m. Thursday at the venue. Doors are set to open at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are slated to go on sale at 3 p.m. CT Tuesday.
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Ye, a Chicago native, has held listening parties in his home town before as well.
In 2021, he joined fans inside Soldier Field for what he called a “listening experience,” allowing supporters to hear his album “Donda."
The new "Vultures" album touches on the controversy Ye faced after making a string of anti-Semitic remarks.
During an appearance on the show InfoWars in 2022, hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Ye praised Hitler, and ranted about the Devil and Jewish media. White supremacist Nick Fuentes was also present during the show.
The comments sparked controversy both on and offline, which caused him to lose several partnerships with brands such as Adidas, Gap and fashion house Balenciaga. The talent agency CAA also cut ties with Ye and he was suspended from both X and Instagram.
This project will be Ye’s first release since being slammed for his 2022 comments, but those were not his last.
Ye has a history of offensive and antisemitic comments, including repeated praise of Hitler and the Nazis. He also once suggested slavery was a choice and called the coronavirus vaccine “the mark of the beast.” In October 2022, he was criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at his Paris Fashion Week show and tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale, DEFCON.
In December, Ye went on an antisemitic rant in Las Vegas “Vultures,.” In the rant, he made insidious insinuations about Jewish influence and compared himself to Jesus Christ and Adolf Hitler.
“After causing untold damage by using his vast influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious antisemitism and hate, an apology in Hebrew may be the first step on a long journey towards making amends to the Jewish community and all those who he has hurt,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement to The Associated Press and other news outlets. “Ultimately, actions will speak louder than words but this initial act of contrition is welcome.”
Ye apologized to the Jewish community in an Instagram post written in Hebrew in late December.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions,” the rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, wrote. “It was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused."
The American Jewish Committee, however, criticized Ye's use of Hebrew in the apology.
“Beyond being bizarre and possibly a ploy to gain more attention, the Hebrew apology — posted without translation — is inaccessible to most American Jews who do not speak the language,” the AJC said in a statement to the AP. “To be sure, using Hebrew to communicate with the Jewish community intentionally denies most American Jews — and, consequently, non-Jews — the ability to directly see Kanye’s apology.”
“While he claims that he is committed to learning and greater understanding, this apology speaks to ‘any pain I may have caused,’ rather than acknowledging the pain that he has caused,” the AJC continued.
