To kick off the 10th anniversary of the global hip-hop festival Rolling Loud, organizers unveiled a special show featuring Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign on Thursday, March 14 at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, billed as the official live debut as ¥$ for their new collaboration record “Vultures 1” to be performed in full.
And in good ol’ Kanye West fashion, where all bets are off, fans witnessed the duo on stage for a full hour with little to no singing or rapping as pre-recorded music filled the grounds. This approach left many guests confused, irritated, or guessing what would happen next, as they had anticipated a full-fledged festival performance as promised by promoters.
And that’s what attendees experienced: a listening party where the artists themselves were observed listening instead of performing.
This terrain isn’t new for Ye, who’s known for hosting countless listening events since the release of “Life Of Pablo” in 2016, spanning arenas and stadiums throughout the globe. Most recently, he concluded a series of “Vultures 1” listening parties held in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Paris over the past month. Yet, it wasn’t what fans expected, nor was it explicitly billed as a traditional listening party.
The setup, crafted on a custom stage in the middle of the SoFi Stadium parking lot, stood adjacent to the festival’s Ethika Main Stage. It featured a circular platform illuminated by lighting rigs and fog machines billowing in every direction.
Already half an hour late, the duo wasted no time trotting around the stage wearing black jackets and ski masks, devoid of microphones to rap or belt out a chorus as the music played through the speakers. In return, the audience was treated to an oversupply of special guests, each taking turns jumping up on stage for their respective features on “Vultures 1,” the first installment in a trilogy of album releases that claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for two weeks, giving West his…
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