As Kanye West fans eagerly await the arrival of his “DONDA” album, the Chicago rapper has reportedly made $7 million off the album merchandise.
The Atlanta listening party made history this month by becoming the most-watched livestream in Apple Music history. According to Billboard, more than 5.4 million tuned in on Aug 5.
Kanye’s first listening event at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium racked up over 3.3 million viewers last month, shattering the record-breaking Verzuz battle between Jeezy and Gucci Mane Verzuz battle (1.8 million.)
Yeezy has remained uncharacteristically silent outside of his listening parties, which to his credit, has added to the palpable tension.
Every Friday since his announcement “DONDA” would be arriving, loyal Ye’s supporters stayed awake until the clock struck midnight to see if the rapper followed through with his promise.
After much frustration from fans, Justin Laboy took to Twitter to announce that Ye wants to deliver the project “without rushing anything.”
“KANYE WEST WILL MOVE THE RELEASE DATE OF DONDA TO AUGUST 6TH. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE[.] HE WANTS TO GIVE HIS FANS THE BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCT WITHOUT RUSHING ANYTHING. HE LOVES YALL WITH ALL OF HIS HEART. GOD BLESS,” he tweeted.
Mr. West is not without controversy. But his more controversial moments (supporting Trump, running for president, aligning himself with Candace Owens’ #Blexit campaign) have never slowed down Ye’s selling power.
The creative even set up a soundless Twitch stream allowing viewers to watch Kanye record vocal tracks, work out, eat Chick-Fil-A and sleep.
The pressure of the monstrous expectations would likely scare a less confident artist.
Fortunately, confidence is something the “Yeezy” creator possesses by the bucketload.
Could “DONDA” be Kanye West’s greatest album of all time?
