Donda, Take 3

8.5.21

Kanye West inside Mercedes Stadium

It has been over a year since we initially were expecting Kanye West’s Donda album to drop, and a few weeks since the second release date. Now, we come down to the final few hours before the New Music Friday of August 6th, the tentative official release date for Donda. Kanye wants to assure everyone that he is pulling all-days and all-nighters to get this project done, and is proving to do so through an Apple Music Live Stream.

Kanye West shared that he was locking himself into Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia until the album was finished. About a week ago, Kanye shared a peculiar image on his Instagram. It kind of looked like a luxury jail cell. Small twin bed, miniature make-shift closet to hang just a few things, a TV and four walls (oh, and Yeezys everywhere). Almost the bare minimum. Kanye is keeping himself to this confined space until the album is complete.

While Kanye had originally planned to drop Donda earlier in July, a lot changed after the initial album release party. Allegedly, Jay-Z recorded a verse for Kanye’s album that day. Lil Durk, who was Tweeting he missed his flight to be on the album updated us that he did not miss his flight, which kind of sounds like another last minute addition. At this point in time, everyone is going crazy waiting to see and hear what this body of work will entail. Other artists rumored to be on the project include Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, Don Toliver, Pusha T, Baby Keem, Roddy Ricch, Travis Scott and others.

So, knowing that there was already an album party, there was clearly a decently finished project. Also knowing that Kanye has been working around the clock for three additional weeks, leads me to think that this album could realistically be a completely different body of work - or extended. How do we know that he has actually been working on this around the clock? Well, the Apple Music Live Stream of course.

Apple Music shared a link on their Instagram story, and is also trending in the “Browse” section of the iTunes Library. The live stream is purposely muted, so that we cannot hear any of the new music just yet, but we can see everything that is going on, in that small room that Kanye has shared. Vic Mensa has stopped by for a visit. Ye is doing pushups and lifting weights. It is all quite interesting to see, even in silence.

On top of silently viewing Kanye in the final stages before we see if we will get a release on time, Kanye calls for viewers of a second listening party. Today, at the Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Kanye West is said to be holding a second listening party. At this very moment in time while checking into the Live Stream, Vic Mensa sits on the floor, bobbing his head and moving his hands, clearly listening to whatever Kanye has put together. Three others in the room are doing the same. The album seems like it will be completed for tonight’s listening party. But what else could happen between then and midnight, that may hold the project any longer?

Well, Ye also shared an image of his phone long, on Instagram. There was a FaceTime, sent call, and missed call, from “Abel The Weekend,” which we are pretty certain is The Weeknd. Fans are now definitely expecting an Abel appearance on the album. Hopefully they sorted through anything they may have been discussing. On top of this, Drake and Nas are both supposed to drop their albums tomorrow as well. Who knows if Ye will catch wind and say he wants his own day to shine.

Hopefully it is just a few hours until we receive Donda, after over a year of waiting.