Ye Says He's Out, But Will He Really Fade to Black?

Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures 1" album topped the charts when it was released in February.

Hold onto your hypebeasts, folks! Ye — the artist formerly known as Kanye West — might be hanging up his microphone for good. Yes, that's right, the man who brought us "The College Dropout" and "Jesus Walks" (and, let's be honest, a whole lotta controversy) is hinting at a full-blown musical retirement.

Rich the Kid shared an alleged text message from Ye on Tuesday, July 9, in which the rapper explained his decision to walk away from professional music. "I am retiring from professional music. Not sure what else to do," West wrote in the message.

Ye said he’s retiring from making music but he don’t know what else to do pic.twitter.com/Sd3aM52dTl

— Donda Times (@dondatimes) July 9, 2024

Rich the Kid tried to convince him otherwise: "Retire? Why? How? The people NEED you. The music you & Ty & we have made the BIGGEST STAMP in culture to this date in 2024. Drop Ye about mine & V2 and we do it all over again. The kids need you big bro for sure. Maybe some time to chill but retiring ain't it." The "New Freezer" rapper deleted the text message exchange featuring Ye's alleged retirement from his Instagram Story about a half-hour after originally posting it.

Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures 1" album topped the charts when it was released in February, as did the album single "Carnival" featuring Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid. However, the second and third volumes the duo promised fans in March and April failed to drop. According to Ty Dolla $ign, all the songs for the second album are complete. However, no release date has been announced since it was last rumored to be dropping in May. Most recently, Ye and Ty announced a "Vultures" listening event to take place in Korea on Aug. 23.

Ye's career has been marked by dramatic announcements and sudden changes in direction, leaving fans and industry observers questioning whether this retirement declaration is final or another twist in his unpredictable journey. His influence on the music industry has been significant, from groundbreaking albums like "The College Dropout" and "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" to his ventures into fashion and other creative fields.

For now, fans and the music world wait to see if Ye's retirement will stick or if he will once again surprise everyone with a new chapter in his storied career.