When news first surfaced last May that Kanye West was working on new music on a mountain in Wyoming, one thing came to mind—the artist’s self–imposed Hawaiian exile in 2009 that led to the creation of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. During that time, West spent a bulk of his daily existence in the studio, churning out content that eventually became the critically acclaimed masterpiece widely considered to be his magnum opus. Are we about to see a repeat?
Since those first rumors, however, there had been minimal chatter on social media about West until this week. Outside of an appearance at an NBA All–Star event in Los Angeles, taping an episode of Celebrity Family Feud, and reactivating and deactivating his Instagram account around Valentine’s Day, he’d been keeping himself largely out of media circles until this week.
Now, it appears that more details have surfaced. West is confirmed to be in the city of Jackson, apparently staying at the Amangani luxury hotel using an alias. A number of friends and family members have joined him there—including artists such as Kid Cudi, Nas, Drake, and Travis Scott, producers such as Mike Dean and Jeff Bhasker, and his wife, Kim Kardashian. That’s what I call a crew.
So what’s up? Is this a new record? Let’s mull over a few facts. Since the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010, West has lengthened the period of time between album releases—where The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005) were released merely 18 months apart, Yeezus (2013) and The Life of Pablo (2016) were both preceded by three year gaps. It’s been barely over two years since the latter came out, so maybe it’s possible that the music being recorded currently is simply waiting to be put out sometime next winter.
However, there’s a few other possibilities. Both Drake and Scott have been rumored to release albums early this year—perhaps West is heavily involved in the production process for both records. It could also be another part of the creative process for a different album, Cruel Winter, the rumored long–awaited sequel to GOOD Music’s debut compilation Cruel Summer. After all, collaborator CyHi the Prynce had indicated it was finished last year, so it could be that West is working on the finishing touches.
Still, there’s a certain vibe about this that smells of solo studio album. The only other time West removed himself from society for such an extended period was that time in Hawaii; it’s a good sign he’s deep in the creative process. Personally, I’m excited to hear what comes out of this. Keep your fingers crossed that we get something soon, folks.
