The wait is finally over for Kanye West fans.
After several delays, the Chi-town native has released “Donda,” his 10th studio album.
The highly anticipated album was originally scheduled for release on July 22. In the weeks leading up to the album’s release, West moved into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia where he held two album listening events over the summer.
Named and dedicated to his mother who passed away in 2007, “Donda” is comprised of 27 tracks, running for a total of one hour and 49 minutes. The star-studded album includes features with The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Young Thug, just to name a few.
The album begins with a track called “Donda Chant.” The track, which is 52 seconds long, is exactly what one might expect of a traditional chant. When listeners begin the track, they will hear a woman repeating the name “Donda” at various speeds, annunciations and vocal inflections. There is no music accompanying the chant, making for an eerie and uncomfortable introduction to the album.
The following track entitled “Jail” is more representative of Yeezy’s iconic sound, opening with the strong sound of electric guitar and the rapper telling his fans, “Take what you want.”
Fans of rap and hip-hop music will be thrilled to hear the familiar voice of Jay-Z who has not worked with West since the release of their classic collaborative album, “Watch the Throne,” in 2011.
The two rap legends had a public falling out in 2016 and were rumored to no longer be in contact. The seemingly rekindled relationship between Hova and West is great news for music lovers who can be optimistic about future collaborations from the duo. In “Jail,” Jay-Z alluded to the possibility of working with West on another album with the lyrics, “This might be the return of The Throne.”
The songs on the rest of the album reflect the artist’s thoughts about family, his relationship with God and his mother. Available for streaming on YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify, “Donda” is the album contemporary hip-hop fans will appreciate for years to come.
