Kanye West has backtracked and claimed his forthcoming LP, BULLY, did not use AI.
In February 2025, the controversial rapper told Justin Laboy in an interview that the much-delayed LP would utilise artificial intelligence.
He said: “It’s like the next version of sampling.
“Like when sampling happened, they hated it.”
However, while unveiling the full tracklisting for the 13-track record on Wednesday (25.03.26), he told his X followers: “BULLY ON THE WAY NO AI.”
Kanye, who legally changed his name to Ye, is expected to drop the album on Friday (27.03.26).
He first revealed the album in September 2024, setting a release date of June 15, 2025. On March 18, he unexpectedly dropped several early, in-progress versions of the tracks on X. The uploads arrived alongside a short film titled Bully V1, directed by Ye and edited by Hype Williams, featuring his son Saint battling New Japan Pro-Wrestling stars with a toy mallet.
The Bound 2 hitmaker – who released his two Vultures LPs with Ty Dolla $ign in 2024 – previewed the first track from the upcoming record, Beauty And The Beast, during his listening event at Wuyuan River Stadium in Haikou, China, in September.
He told the audience in footage circulating on social media: “I got a new album coming out. The album’s called Bully, and this song is called Beauty and the Beast.”
The track featured a soft instrumental and Kanye singing lyrics that included: “I still think about it every night and day to try to stay away, to keep my audience / Don’t take this disrespect, I’m sitting here trying to redirect.”
The 48-year-old star’s longtime collaborator, Mike Dean, suggested the track was a leftover from Kanye’s 2021 album Donda.
BULLY tracklist:
1. Sisters And Brothers
2. Whatever Works
3. Father
4. All The Love
5. I Can’t Wait
6. Bully
7. Mama’s Favorite
8. Punch Drunk
9. This A Must
10. Outside
11. Preacher Man
12. White Lines
13. Circles
14. This One Here
15. King
16. Beauty And The Beast
17. Damn
18. Last Breath
