Vultures 2 (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by the American hip-hop supergroup ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla $ign. It was released independently by the former's YZY record label on August 3, 2024. Guest performances include Don Toliver, Playboi Carti, Kodak Black, Future, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Yuno Miles, West's daughters North and Chicago, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Desiigner, Cyhi the Prynce, 070 Shake, and Ty Dolla Sign's brother Big TC. The album's digital deluxe editions add guest vocals from Peso Pluma, Kodak Black, Kid Cudi, and Travis Scott.
Recording sessions were first held for the track "Can U Be" in 2014, four years before West started recording "Sky City", eight years before "530", and ten years before the finished album. West and Ty Dolla Sign focused on composing Vultures 2 with collaborators after the release of its predecessor in 2024; the rapper quickly backtracked on an announcement of retirement in July 2024. The former sustained multiple delays before release, with the performers initially considering issuing it exclusively on West's Yeezy website. In March 2024, audio rips of tracks such as "River" and "Promotion" were made available for streaming online. West and Ty Dolla Sign previewed tracks from the album at listening parties in the United States throughout the same month, before holding events in international locations like Goyang and Haikou during August and September.
Following the release of Vultures 2, West continuously updated the tracks. Encompassing hip-hop, R&B, house, and trap, it was noted for an unfinished sound. Themes of women, money, freedom, and redemption are present, while West portrays himself as a victim of others. A few hours before the album's release, "Slide" was issued as the lead single. A music video for the track "Fried" was also shared in August 2024. In November 2024, a video for "Bomb" was released, featuring a new rap verse from meme rapper Yuno Miles, which West had first premiered at a live show in August. The cover art for Vultures 2 features Ty Dolla Sign wearing an all-black costume while holding a picture of Big TC, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder they both deny that he had committed.
Background and recording Songs from the album were recorded off and on from 2014 to 2024. On January 23, 2024, West revealed that he would be releasing a Vultures series as a trilogy with Ty Dolla Sign, with the first set for release in February, the second on March 8, and the final on April 5. Vultures 1 was released after a slight delay as the first installment of the series on February 10, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 and experiencing worldwide chart success. On February 25, 2024, Timbaland, who worked on the album, announced that the second installment was "on the way". On March 3, French Montana announced his involvement and shared a clip of himself with the duo in the recording studio. After Vultures 2 had not met its scheduled release five days later, West explained that he and Ty Dolla Sign were still recording in the studio.
On April 24, 2024, Rolling Stone confirmed a track entitled "Let Me Chill Out" had been recorded for the album, featuring the deceased rapper Takeoff with fellow rappers Rich the Kid and NBA Youngboy. On June 22, Ty Dolla Sign appeared on a cover story for Billboard and played some of the tracks from Vultures 2. The singer explained that all the songs were recorded, although him and West were still trying to "go bigger than the first album". On July 9, 2024, Rich the Kid shared an exchange of text messages where West announced that he was retiring from music. Rich the Kid argued to West that he was needed for music and his cultural impact, requesting for him to release Vultures 2. The announcement caused divided reactions amongst West's fans, with some disappointed in his retirement and others celebrating. Shortly after announcing his retirement, West returned to feature on frequent collaborator Consequence's track "No Apologies" on July 12, 2024.
Several songs on Vultures 2 had appeared on track lists for West's previous albums or been played during his listening events. West started recording "Can U Be" during the 2016 sessions for his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo, the same year that fellow rapper Travis Scott previewed it with a video of him. He stopped working on the track in 2017, although it experienced multiple internet leaks and became popular with his fans online. "Sky City" was reportedly recorded during the 2018 sessions for West's unreleased album Yandhi, having previously leaked online. "530" also leaked and appeared on a track list for his demo album Donda 2, recorded in 2022; the final version remained largely unchanged. "Slide" was previewed during multiple events in 2023, before appearing on a track list for Vultures 1 in 2024. A listening event was leaked in December 2023, where West and Ty Dolla Sign previewed "River". In January 2024, North West wore a T-shirt with an early track list for Vultures 1 that included songs such as "Time Moving Slow", "Promotion", "Dead" and "Take off Your Dress".
Music and themes
Overview Vultures 2 is a hip-hop, R&B, house, and trap album, incorporating avant-garde. It features a raw style, including prominent synths. Multiple publications noted the album's unfinished sound, comparing its songs to demotapes. The instrumentation at the start of Vultures 2 invokes the Deep Note of THX that is also used at the beginning of rapper and record producer Dr. Dre's 2001 (1999); West previously stated the album's track "Xxplosive" influenced his sound.
Ty Dolla Sign provides harmony with his singing throughout, while some tracks feature few vocals from West. Incomplete verses are delivered by West, who has been accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) for certain performances. Vultures 2 features themes of women, money, freedom, and redemption. West portrays his character as a victim of others, such as the music industry and his former wife Kim Kardashian. He depicts as the music industry not wanting him to succeed and himself a survivor of cancel culture, remaining in the spotlight.
Tracks 1–9 The album's opening track, "Slide", begins with a cinematic sound that combines a booming percussion section with organs, alongside THX synths. Ty Dolla Sign performs first on the song as he delivers smooth soulful vocals, while West stands defiant in the face of industry opposition in a villainous tone. Resembling Donda 2 track "Flowers", "Time Moving Slow" features drum kicks and West declaring "I rewrote my ending". "Field Trip" is based on a sample of Portishead's "Machine Gun" (2008), which is combined with Kodak Black's vocals. The guest rappers have more vocals than West on the song, including fast rapping from Playboi Carti. "Fried" relies on chants that invoke Vultures 1 single "Carnival", with lyrics from West threatening people who consider becoming opposed to him and Ty Dolla Sign comparing himself to deceased rapper Tupac Shakur. The interlude "Isabella" follows, consisting of a rock sample. "Promotion" contains synth tones and drum sounds, alongside a lyrical reference from West to his 2007 single "Good Life". An introspective number, "530" features West lamenting over his relationship with ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. "Dead" includes booming drums and synth tones, with lyrics from West reflecting on a former lover after fellow rapper Future's verse. Future's voice is sequenced and he raps about his involvement with an Instagram model, while Ty Dolla Sign identifies himself as "the new [Hugh] Hef" and rapper Lil Durk engages in a call and response with the singer and West. "Forever Rolling" incorporates clattering drums in its grand production, opening with a verse from West calling out companies that parted ways with him. Lil Baby and Ty Dolla Sign deliver lines back and forth, focusing on staying together and making the most of life.
Tracks 10–16 A bouncy track with a Jersey club beat, "Bomb" consists of bilingual rapping from Kanye's daughters North and Chicago West, the former of whom repeats greetings in Japanese. "River" prominently samples Leon Bridges' 2015 track of the same name and its first verse is performed by rapper Young Thug, who harmonizes at the start. The song is themed around the freedom of Young Thug and mobster Larry Hoover, marking a rare reference to the criminal justice system from West on the album. "Forever" contains elements of dance music, seeing West and Ty Dolla Sign focus on their desire for love. "Husband" features West depicting Kardashian as having needed their relationship to maintain her finances, expressing self-pity. West continues this subject matter into "Lifestyle", ridiculing women who envision a luxury lifestyle outside of their reach. The song features a verse from fellow rapper Lil Wayne about women's Brazilian butt lift, as well as a reference to West's rival Taylor Swift. "Sky City" is driven by lightly strummed electric guitar and changes the song structure from its original leak, while Ty Dolla Sign harmonizes the chorus of the Five Stairsteps' single "O-o-h Child" (1970). West raps incoherently on the song as he compares his brand Yeezy to liberation from "picking cotton", followed by associate and fellow rapper Cyhi the Prynce envisioning making visits to his ancestors. The closing track, "My Soul", sees West call out Adidas and address incarceration in the United States. Ty Dolla Sign delivers an emotional prayer to his brother Big TC, who harmonizes about the freedom of maintaining his Muslim faith in spite of imprisonment.
Release and promotion West shared the cover art for the album through his Twitter account on March 9, 2024, showing a masked figure standing in all-black outfit. The figure on the cover was revealed to be Ty Dolla Sign and he holds a photo of his brother Big TC, real name Jabreal Muhammad, who was given a 16-year prison sentence for a murder they both claim he did not commit. On March 10, 2024, in a conversation with a fan page, West mentioned that he would be selling Vultures 2 on his Yeezy website for $20 instead of releasing it on streaming platforms like Vultures 1. West thought streaming devalues music and is "basically pirating", offering that he could reach one million album sales from five percent of his then-20 million Instagram followers. He said the decision was made to stop streaming companies being "in control of the artist" and Ty Dolla Sign echoed West's views in spite of requests for the album to be streamed, declaring the release went against "what these streaming services want u to to believe so they can stay on top".