Few artists have managed to turn the tension between their former selves and their current personas into such a lucrative venture in the musical world. Around six years ago, Kanye West decided to shed his old identity and rebrand himself as Ye. Since then, he has put out a series of albums, which has created a divide among his own fanbase. 'Vultures', released on the 20th anniversary of his debut album 'The College Dropout', now sits at the bottom of Ye’s album rankings, in contrast to the groundbreaking debut album that put him on the map. 

Ye has primarily four eras. The elder Kanye West, featuring 'The College Dropout', 'Late Registration', and 'Graduation'; the transition era with '808s & Heartbreak'; the modern Ye with 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'; and the "new Kanye" era that includes 'Vultures'. According to an X poll of 1,222 votes on the favorite "new Kanye" album, which included 'Donda', 'Ye', 'Vultures 1', and 'The Life of Pablo', only 3.4% chose the 2024 release. In contrast, 'The Life of Pablo', which came just before he announced his rechristening, received the highest vote at 46.6%. 

'Vultures 1' was criticized for many reasons. The unexpected screams, choppy transitions, and repetitive loops and phrases were just some of the complaints from listeners. The album had fans questioning if Ye, who was once loved for making music that others could not or would not, was still at the top of his game with music production. And since 'Vultures', there is also a growing feeling that the Grammy-winning-rapper's innovative edge has dulled and he is now following trends rather than leading them.

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This might explain why fans gravitated toward an album from the earlier "new Kanye" period rather than the 2024 release, 'Vultures'. 

'Vultures', was supposed to signal Ye’s comeback in the rap world. But instead, ended up being one of the most divisive albums he has ever released. A similar fate was observed with 'Vultures 2' as well. The second volume was marred by accusations of AI vocals and unauthorized sampling, which, all in all, drew in more backlash for the rapper. Therefore, many fans wondered why 'Vultures 2' was not an option in the polls along with 'Vultures 1', since the second volume was even more scrutinized than the first one. 

Most fans picked 'The Life of Pablo' as their favorite, while 'Vultures' was seen as their least favorite.

It was announced earlier this year that 'Vultures' would be split into three parts, with the third part set to drop in April 2024. While we are clearly miles past the deadline, Ye is already seemingly building anticipation for the third release with some cryptic moves. Nonetheless, with the kind of delay 'Vultures 2' saw, no one knows how long they will have to wait for the final volume- or if it will ever come out, given the public’s disappointment with the entire 'Vultures' project.

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