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Express Tribune
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kanye drops lost album 'Donda 2' after three years
After three years of waiting, confusion, leaks, and livestreams, Kanye West, or Ye, as he now goes by, has finally released Donda 2 on major streaming platforms, reported Variety. Originally available only via the now-defunct Stem Player in 2022, the album was dubbed "lost album" by fans due to its limited access and unfinished state. Now, it's been reintroduced with a fresh polish, new mixes, and official placement on Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube Music, under the artist name "Donda." First executively produced by rapper Future, Donda 2 is the sequel to Kanye's 2021 tribute album Donda, named after his late mother. The original Donda 2 rollout was chaotic: the album was never released to traditional platforms, the tracks felt unfinished, and fans had to shell out USD200 for a Stem Player to hear it, a decision many saw as bold, others as frustratingly inaccessible. Fast forward to 2025, and Kanye seems to have changed tack. In a surprise livestream earlier this week, he revealed that he was preparing the remixed album for official release. "I wanted to get the album out there," he said during a listening party, describing Donda 2 as his first fully independent project, and one he wanted fans to experience without corporate filters. The re-release includes 18 tracks, many featuring high-profile collaborators like XXXTENTACION, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Future, Playboi Carti, Baby Keem, and Migos. Fan-favourite tracks like Happy and Mr. Miagi now sound more refined, with clearer production and updated vocals. Some song titles and mixes have changed, adding a layer of surprise for fans revisiting the record. Reactions on social media have ranged from pure elation to disoriented déjà vu. One user joked, "It's 2022 and Ye has released Donda 2. It's 2025 and he's done it again." Another called it "a rollercoaster," but praised the hits for outweighing the misses. Still, not everyone is satisfied, especially Apple Music users, who noted the album took longer to appear on their platform. "Where the hell is Donda 2 on Apple Music?" one user fumed. Whether you loved or loathed the original rollout, one thing's for sure: Donda 2 is finally here for everyone, and Ye fans are living for it, all over again.
Black America Web
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Kanye West Drops ‘Donda 2' On Streaming
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty Kanye West has officially released 'Donda 2' to major streaming platforms, bringing an end to its two-year exclusivity on the Stem Player. Originally teased in early 2022 as a follow-up to his 2021 album 'Donda', the project was executive produced by Future and initially made available only through the $200 device, limiting its reach to a niche audience. Now presented under the artist name 'Donda,' the streaming version includes 18 tracks, many of which resemble the original versions from the Stem Player release. Now presented under the artist name 'Donda,' the streaming version includes 18 tracks, many of which resemble the original versions from the Stem Player release. Some songs have been renamed or slightly altered. Future appears on multiple tracks, including 'Happy' and 'Mr. Miagi,' while a shortened version of '5:30,' previously featured on Vultures 2 with Ty Dolla $ign, also makes the cut. The album's release is notable not just for the music, but for its context. Donda 2 had gained a sort of mythic status due to its limited availability and the lack of a traditional rollout. Its arrival on streaming allows for a wider audience to engage with the project for the first time, whether they followed its early leaks or are hearing it now in full. Whether the album reshapes Kanye's discography or simply fills a long-standing gap, Donda 2 is now part of the broader conversation. Its release opens the door for new interpretations, comparisons, and critiques, with listeners now able to evaluate it on more equal footing. Check out some of the reactions below. Kanye West Drops 'Donda 2' On Streaming was originally published on
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kanye West's album pulled from streaming hours after release
Kanye West finally released his so-called "lost" 2022 album Donda 2 to streaming services on Wednesday, but within hours, it had been taken down. The controversial rapper was threatened with legal action over the album, which West, also known as Ye, initially released via his own platform, Stem Player. It subsequently arrived on streaming services including as Spotify and YouTube Music. However, West then posted on social media that DeAndre 'Free' Maiden, who manages two of the featured producers - Jahmal 'Boogz Da Beast' Gwin and Brian 'AllDay' Miller - had contacted him to request the album be taken down over his failure to pay them for their work. Gwin and Miller were responsible for producing eight of Donda 2's 18 tracks. West's post showed a screenshot of a message from Maiden, reading: "We did not and do not consent to the usage of our work for Donda 2 or any Ye project! He's owed us $ for almost 3 years now, has refused to pay, yet keeps stealing our work." After detailing the songs his artists worked on, Maiden added: "The lawyers are getting this taken down within the hour." In the caption of his post, West commented: "Free Maiden tried to charge me 3 million dollars for these beats from people I showed how to make beats to. "Now he going to take down Donda 2." He added: "Managers" with a shrugging emoji. Last week, West joined the Twitch streaming platform and was banned just seven minutes into his first stream.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kanye West's lost album Donda 2 removed from streaming services hours after release
Kanye West finally released his 'lost' 2022 album Donda 2 to streaming services on Wednesday, but within hours, the record had been taken down after the controversial rapper was threatened with legal action. The 47-year-old rapper, also known as Ye, initially released the album via his own platform, Stem Player. Earlier today, it belatedly arrived on services such as Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube Music. However, West then posted on social media that DeAndre 'Free' Maiden, who manages the producers Jahmal 'Boogz Da Beast' Gwin and Brian 'AllDay' Miller, had contacted him to request the album be taken down over his failure to pay them for their work. Gwin and Miller were responsible for producing eight of Donda 2's 18 tracks. West's post showed a screenshot of a message from Maiden, reading: 'We did not & do not consent to the usage of our work for Donda 2 or ANY Ye project! He's owed us $ for almost 3 years now, has refused to pay, yet keeps stealing our work.' After detailing the songs his artists worked on, Maiden added: 'The Lawyers are getting this taken down within the hour.' In the caption of his post, West commented: 'Free Maiden tried to charge me 3 million dollars for these beats from people I showed how to make beats to. 'Now he going to take down Donda 2.' He added: 'Managers' with a shrugging emoji. West is familiar with being removed from internet services over legal issues. Last week, he joined the Twitch streaming platform and was banned just seven minutes into his first stream. He has become well-known for making offensive and antisemitic remarks, and his first appearance on Twitch was no different. West appeared on the stream wearing a black jacket and Prada sunglasses before launching into a speech that included slurs about Jewish people and the LGBT+ community. He also threw a Nazi salute while proclaiming: 'Heil Hitler.' West added that X owner Elon Musk had given him 'free passes' to post discriminatory messages on social media. He also made a series of disparaging comments about his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Within minutes, his Twitch page had been replaced with a message that read: 'This channel is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch's Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.' West had not even reached 220 followers before being banned. In February, Friends actor David Schwimmer called on Musk to ban Kanye West from X after he made a series of antisemitic posts. The actor pointed to a number of posts by West in a lengthy post to his own eight million followers on Instagram. Schwimmer called on Musk to remove West from X. 'This is so 2022,' said Schwimmer. 'We can't stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr Musk.'
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ye releases unreleased 'Donda 2' album on streaming platforms
Ye releases unreleased 'Donda 2' album on streaming platforms Show Caption Hide Caption From Taylor Swift to Bianca Censori: Ye's years of controversies Ye, formerly Kanye West, is no stranger to controversy, from crashing Taylor Swift's MTV speech to his high-profile relationships. "Donda 2" from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has officially arrived on streaming services amid fan backlash about his latest behavior. The current version of "Donda 2," named after his late mom Donda West, appears under the artist name Donda – not Ye – and features 18 songs. In January 2022, Ye announced in a since-deleted Instagram post that "Donda 2" would arrive that February. The follow-up to his 2021 album, which eventually arrived in August after one of the most unique rollouts in music history, was produced by Atlanta rapper Future. The producer also appears on the album. At the time, Ye added on Instagram that the release would only be available on his $200 Stem Player platform. Now, the album is available on mainstream streaming services such as Apple, Amazon, Tidal and Spotify. Many of the songs on the 2025 version are on the original version. Ye's 'Donda 2' album to be released on his Stem Player streaming platform, livestream in IMAX theaters In Ye's January 2022 post, he offered no other information about "Donda 2," but the accompanying image featured his childhood home in flames. Despite Ye's past and current behavior, a star-studded roster of fellow rappers appear on "Donda 2." Louisville, Kentucky, hitmaker Jack Harlow is featured on the song "Louie Bag" and Canadian rapper Sean Leon is a guest on "SCIFI." The song "SCIFI" features a spoken-word intro from ex-wife Kim Kardashian, who dropped the rapper's last name West after the beauty mogul and "Kardashians" reality star filed for divorce on Feb. 19, 2021. "I married the best rapper of all time. Not only that, he's the richest Black man in America. A talented, legit genius who gave me four talented, incredible kids," Kardashian said in the song's intro. The streaming platform release comes amid fan concerns about Ye's behavior. At the Grammys on Feb. 2, Ye's 33-year-old wife Bianca Censori shocked press and fellow guests when she removed a black fur coat to reveal a see-through dress. From a quick glance, Censori could have easily been mistaken as completely nude. Later in February, he took to X in a tirade against Jews in a series of posts (before temporarily deleting his account) and, in an ad, he directed Super Bowl viewers to his website (now down) where the only item he was selling was a $20 T-shirt featuring a swastika. Last month, the controversial Grammy-winning rapper seemingly released a new collaboration with the embattled hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs in a since-deleted post on X, according to People magazine and Billboard. The track, titled "Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine," also featured vocals from Ye's daughter North West, Combs' son Christian "King" Combs and Yeezy artist Jasmine Williams. The song was released as Diddy is set to stand trial for federal sex-crimes on May 5. Earlier this month, he released a track "Cousins" which included incestuous themes. Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, David Oliver, Greta Cross, Amaris Encinas
