Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign dropped their highly anticipated follow-up album, Vultures 2, on Saturday morning. Fans were particularly stunned by a standout performance from Kanye’s 11-year-old daughter, North West, who showcased her impressive rap skills by performing in fluent Japanese on the track “Bomb.”
Reactions to North’s appearance on the track have been mixed. While many praised her talent and creativity, others found the choice of song title and language combination insensitive. Social media platforms X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram have been flooded with responses.
Enthusiastic fans posted comments like, “North West stole the show on the album rapping in Japanese! It’s the best track on Kanye West’s new album!” and “North West rapping on the track is (fire emoji).” Others noted the cleverness of her performance, with one user writing, “North West raps in Japanese on ‘Bomb’ from Kanye’s Vultures 2. That was smart.”
However, some listeners accused the song of being culturally insensitive, citing the use of Japanese in a track titled “Bomb.” One person commented, “Singing Japanese on a song called bomb is straight up crazy,” while another added, “A song called bomb is the last song you should be speaking Japanese in.”
Some fans defended North, pointing out her young age. One user stated, “It’s just Chicago and North having fun.” Others compared North’s performance to Megan Thee Stallion’s use of Japanese in her song “Mamushi,” with a fan tweeting, “Now everyone wanna rap in Japanese after Megan did it?” accompanied by a skull emoji.
North, the daughter of Kanye and Kim Kardashian, has been making strides in the entertainment industry. Earlier this year, she made her acting debut as Young Simba in The Lion King’s 30th Anniversary concert at The Hollywood Bowl, where she performed “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” to a standing ovation. Despite her success, North faced criticism online for her perceived nepotism advantage, with some users on X commenting on her privileged position.
The surprise release of Vultures 2 generated significant buzz, with many fans noting the unexpected timing. One person wrote, “Kanye West Mad Random But I Respect It,” while others shared memes comparing Kanye’s spontaneity to LeBron James’s slam dunks.
Kanye, 47, and Ty Dolla $ign, 42, initially debuted their joint project on February 10. The two artists teased Vultures 2 earlier in the day, with Ty Dolla $ign sharing a cryptic message on his Instagram Stories. A few hours later, he announced, “V2 LIVE,” providing a link to the album on Yeezy.com.
Ahead of the album’s full release, the duo dropped the single “Slide,” which had been in development for some time. An early version was played at a listening party in Geneva last September, and the full version was performed at Vultures Rave in Miami in December 2023.
Earlier this week, Kanye, his wife Bianca Censori, and Ty Dolla $ign attended a birthday dinner for Kanye’s manager John Monopoly. John shared the celebration on social media, highlighting the gift of another Tesla Cyber Truck from Kanye.
The release of Vultures 2 comes amid rumors of Kanye’s retirement from professional music. Alleged text messages between Kanye and rapper Rich The Kid hinted at Kanye’s plans to step back from his music career. The message read, “I’m retiring from professional music. Not sure what else to do.”
Vultures 2 has certainly made an impact, blending unexpected collaborations and sparking both admiration and controversy among fans.
