Kanye West’s New LP, ‘Donda’, Arrives Amidst Controversy

World-famous musician and social provocateur, Kanye West, released his newest and long-awaited LP, Donda, today (August 29) after several prior failed attempts.

The album, which includes 27 songs and clocks in at nearly two hours, features guest appearances from Jay-Z, The Weeknd, Kid Cudi, and Travis Scott, among many others. It is the latest since West’s 2019 gospel LP, Jesus Is King. In 2018, he released his studio album, Ye.

Donda had originally been set to release in July, but West pushed the date back several times this month. Not long after the new album’s release, West claimed that his label dropped the record without his approval, saying on Instagram, “Universal put my album out without my approval and they blocked Jail 2 from being on the album.”

“Jail” is a song on the record that features both Marilyn Manson and rapper DaBaby, both of whom are embroiled in controversy. It is unclear what “Jail 2” would be, exactly, had it been released.

West, a producer, rapper, and business mogul, has made headline after headline since his 2004 release, College Dropout. He recreated his childhood home for the new album’s eventual listening party.

For West, a 21-time Grammy-winner, Donda, which is named after his mother, who died in 2007, represents the culmination of an odd few years, which includes making headlines with former President Trump.