Kanye West Reveals Key Details About Upcoming Album Bully
Kanye West has officially unveiled exciting details about his much-anticipated 11th solo album, Bully. During an interview with Justin Laboy, which premiered at a special event in Los Angeles on February 2, the Chicago rap icon shared the album’s release date, concept, and inspirations.
The album is set to drop on June 15, a date chosen by Kanye’s 11-year-old daughter, North. North’s reasoning? She wanted the album to coincide with her birthday, adding a personal touch to the project. Kanye reminisced during the interview, saying: “Didn’t Yeezus come out on my birthday? So we’re gonna bring Bully out on her birthday ’cause that’s her favorite album.”
Adding a layer of intrigue, Kanye revealed that the album’s title was inspired by his son, Saint, whose playful antics—specifically kicking another child while playing—sparked the idea. Not only is Saint the muse behind the title, but he also graces the album’s cover.
Kanye also hinted at pushing the boundaries of music with Bully by incorporating artificial intelligence. Having dabbled with AI in his Vultures collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye addressed the skepticism surrounding the technology. “People are like, ‘Stay away from AI,’” he said. “As an artist, I can take anything. I can sell a piece of shit for $10 million [laughs]. [AI] is in the same family as Auto-Tune, except people have a more visceral reaction.”
Kanye elaborated on AI’s role in the creative process, describing it as a dream tool for sampling and isolating tracks. “You can take any song and separate it—just get the vocals, just get the bassline, the drums—and completely separate it. When I send a song or sample to my engineers, I just say, ‘JS, AI,’” referring to his engineer, John Scott.
During the interview, Kanye played a snippet of an unreleased track presumed to be from Bully, featuring AI-modified vocals. This innovative use of technology further cements Kanye’s reputation for embracing bold, avant-garde approaches to music.
Longtime collaborator Mike Dean will also be involved in Bully, and Kanye hinted at rekindling his passion for beat-making. This return to form echoes the sound of his early work, with Kanye reportedly taking full control of production—a throwback to his College Dropout days.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Bully, Kanye’s first solo album since 2021’s Donda. While no official singles have been released, the snippets and insights Kanye has shared suggest a deeply personal and groundbreaking project.
With Bully set to drop on June 15, Kanye West continues to prove why he remains one of the most innovative and influential figures in modern music.
