Kanye West: A New Album Is Reportedly In The Works

Kanye West is reportedly back in the studio. Producer Gregor Estevan posted to his Instagram Story a photo of he, Ye, and Ty Dolla $ign over the weekend. He claimed that he heard Ye play some unreleased music from his hotel room.

"At Ye’s hotel and music is blasting from his room while they’re recording their new album. It sounds insane!!," he wrote alongside the photo according to Rap-Up.

Two sources also told NBC News that Ye has been working on an album "all summer" with the other source adding "New music is imminent."

If Kanye is to release another album it would be his first since his controversial and racist comments last year. The project would follow Donda 2, which was released in 2022.
Since Donda 2 was not released onto streaming platforms, it was not considered for any nominations during this year's Grammy ceremony. However, Donda, which was released in 2021 was nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album. The album took home Best Melodic Rap Performance for "Hurricane" and Best Rap Song for "Jail."

Kanye recently hit the stage with Travis Scott during his massive performance in Rome in which he debuted his album Utopia. The rapper performed "Praise God" which features Scott from his 2021 Donda album. He later performed "Can't Tell Me Nothing," a staple song in the rapper's discography.

Following Ye's antisemitic comments, he was dropped from Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas. While the latter has cut ties with the rapper they recently announced that they will begin selling the rest of the Yeezy stock they have left over. The sportswear company will be donating part of the profits to George Floyd's brother's foundation Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change. They will also be donating to the Anti-Defamation League.

Kanye's Twitter account has also been reinstated recently. It was suspended last year after sharing a photo of a Nazi swastika embedded inside the Star of David. The post has since been deleted.

Ye's account was reinstated "after receiving reassurance that he wouldn’t use the platform to share antisemitic or otherwise harmful language," the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an anonymous source.

Elon Musk, who owns X (formerly known as Twitter), has not made a statement following the rapper's reinstatement. Kanye has also not posted anything new onto his Twitter profile since it has been restored.

Hip-Hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While the genre is one of the youngest, it is not short on its impact on the culture.

The genre originated in the early '70s in New York in African-American communities in the Bronx. There are several aspects to hip-hop in regard to music making, such as rap, djing, and freestyling. Those created other avenues in the art form, such as breakdancing and graffiti art.

Hip-hop has been in the mainstream in ways that were never thought possible by its early adopters of the craft.

"When we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told, 'No'. No, you won't be able to leave New Jersey. No, if you rap, you can't sing. No, singers can't become actresses. No, actors can't also produce," Queen Latifah said to Entertainment Weekly in a statement as she is set to become the first female rap artist to be celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors.

"To now be recognized amongst so many multi-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but for our community. The work the Kennedy Center does is immeasurable so I'm beyond grateful for this recognition."

Throughout this year, hip-hop has been celebrated in performances by some of the greats. At the 2023 BET Awards, there were performances by MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, The Sugarhill Gang, D-Nice, Warren G, Yo-Yo, Trick Daddy, Trina, Uncle Luke, Redman, Erick Sermon, and Keith Murray -- also known as "Def Squad," and more highlighted rap on Culture's Biggest Night.

Earlier this year, Questlove curated a hip-hop tribute at the 2023 Grammy Awards where Missy Elliott, Run DMC, Salt n Pepa, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, Nelly, GloRilla, Lil Baby, and more took to the stage.

If you have been a fan since the beginning or you've just begun listening, you'll learn more from these projects. Take a look at five documentaries on these hip-hop artists:

Biggie and Tupac is a full-length documentary on the lives and tragedies of the hip-hop greats. Besides footage of Biggie and Tupac, you will also see appearances from Snoop Dogg, Lil Cease, and more. You can stream Biggie and Tupac on Amazon Prime Video.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14867972/

Jay-Z is regarded as one of the best rappers to have touched a mic. The New York native's 2020 documentary titled The Story of Jay-Z shows fans how he got to where he is now. You can stream The Story of Jay-Z on Amazon Prime Video.

Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy takes us back to where it all began for Kanye West: The Southside of Chicago. Kanye West's artistry has impacted hip-hop like no other as his diverse skills in producing and designing put him in a league of his own. You can stream Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic takes a deep dive into Nas' iconic debut album Illmatic. In the New York native's documentary you will also hear accounts from Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Pharrell. You can stream Nas: Time Is Illmatic on Peacock.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24514002/

Eminem has had quite a career in hip-hop and this documentary takes a look at many of his accolades. In 2022 he performed at the Super Bowl alongside Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. He was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year for his contributions to hip-hop. You can stream Eminem: Count Me In on Amazon Prime Video.