Kanye West shifts focus to 'Bully' album, featuring Hype Williams and wrestling cameos

Kanye West has shifted his focus from his usual rants on X (formerly Twitter) to release his new album, “Bully,” accompanied by various full-length film versions featuring editing and topography by renowned visionary Hype Williams.

In his initial tweet, West shared a link to the film, stating that the album was “not finished and half the vocals AI,” but he wanted to gauge listener preferences. He later tweeted three different iterations of the “Bully” film: a “screening version,” a “post Hype version,” and a “post post Hype version.”

According to Variety, the films feature West’s son, Saint, in a wrestling ring, using a mallet to fend off aggressors for 30 minutes, with cameos from wrestlers like YOH, Toru Yano, Tiger Mask, and El Desperado from New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The album is infused with soul samples, including Cortex’s “Huit Octobre 1971” and the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

“Bully” was first announced in September 2024 during a performance at Wuyuan River Stadium in Haikou, China, where West premiered the track “Beauty and the Beast.” This release comes amid a series of inflammatory tweets from West, in which he targeted Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and their children.

West explained his decision to release the album on X, claiming it was a way to bypass traditional streaming services. He stated, “I may stop using DSPs cause streams are fake and the French and Jewish record labels treat artists like prostitutes.” He also mentioned that “Donda 2” would be his next project and asked followers whether they preferred “Vultures 3” or “Donda 3.”

In recent weeks, West has been embroiled in controversy, including targeting Jewish communities and promoting merchandise featuring a swastika.