At his first DONDA album listening party two weeks ago on July 22, live from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Kanye West unveiled that his 10th studio album was on the way. The rapper then decided to reside in the arena to complete the record, and announced a second event for the actual reveal.
All very Kanye-like for sure, and the hype around the offering seems to have paid off.
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Dressed in all-black-everything and surrounded by a mock setup of the bedroom he had been staying in at the stadium, West (arriving late) walked the venue floor, raged with a mob, and did push-ups while DONDA played for the 35,000-strong crowd anxious to hear his latest tracks. Collabs with Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Lil Yachty, Young Thug, Jay Electronica, Kid Cudi, Jadakiss, Playboi Carti, The Lox, Griselda, and more were heard -- but JAY-Z’s appearance on the beat-heavy “Jail” and The Weeknd’s smooth stylings on “Hurricane” were the obvious standouts.
One of the bigger takeaways from the night was the way 'Ye rapped about his ex, Kim Kardashian, who was in attendance with the kids for the album reveal. "Time and space is a luxury, but you came here to show that you're still in love with me," 'Ye rapped as Kim looked on. He says this, despite her admission that she was "unhappy" in their marriage which came to an abrupt halt earlier this year.
At the end of the event, Kanye rose out of the darkness, being lifted high into the air bathed in light as if on his way to Paradise, while his song “No Child Left Behind” played to the bewildered crowd.
While this was billed as an "album release," it seems it was just another listening party, as you'd be hard-pressed to find the record or any of its tracks on streaming services. Whenever it is actually released, we'll be sure to let you know that we're blasting it on repeat.
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