On March 14, Playboi Carti released his long-awaited third album, MUSIC. The album featured a long line of collaborators, including Lil Uzi Vert and three different appearances from Kendrick Lamar. However, one big name was conspicuously absent from the tracklist: Kanye West. West co-produced the song “BACKD00R,” a track that featured Lamar and Jhene Aiko. He did not rap on the album, which he attributed to Carti's fear of including him after his latest string of hateful activity on X.
Following a back-and-forth that included Iggy Azalea (the mother of Carti’s son) asking West not to name-drop her and Carti’s young son and Carti telling Ye to “STFU” in an X post that’s since garnered over 750,000 likes, it seems that a once-productive relationship is no more. But, how did we get here? How did their creative partnership, which resulted in several hit singles and platinum records, turn so sour, so quickly? Let’s take a look at their history and what led to such an explosive fallout.
After Playboi Carti relocated to New York City in 2016, he signed with AWGE and joined A$AP Mob. Joining A$AP Mob and working with de facto collective leader A$AP Rocky proved to be his way into more mainstream music circles, as he was still an aspiring artist with a cult following before that meeting. The following year, Kanye West, who Carti called a “fashion inspiration” in a Vogue Magazine interview shortly after releasing his self-titled debut mixtape, cast him as a model for his popular Yeezy clothing brand, marking the first time the two ever crossed paths.
On December 25, 2020, Playboi Carti released Whole Lotta Red, his second album. Carti experienced viral success ahead of the album’s release, with the unreleased track “Pissy Pamper” dominating TikTok in 2019 and 2020. He also appeared on the song “Pain 1993,” a collaboration with Drake. Carti had expectations to deliver on, and one of the men who helped him meet those expectations was Kanye West.
West, who was deep into his short-lived rebrand as a Christian rapper, was the executive producer of Whole Lotta Red. In a conversation with Kid Cudi for Interview Magazine, Carti called West “the OG.” He showed his appreciation for West and how he operated. “Being able to talk to somebody who understands what I’m saying, I got that from his whole camp. I felt that energy from everybody he deals with.” Carti also called him the “ultimate big bro.”
Whole Lotta Red divided fans initially, with the new aesthetic being much different from his self-titled mixtape and Die Lit. Despite that, fans quickly latched onto “Go2DaMoon,” the track with West. Despite his growing list of controversies, as well as the potential hypocrisy of being a self-professed “Christian rapper” and having such a large role in the creation of a Playboi Carti album, West was among the most celebrated hip-hop artists of the 21st century. His co-signs mattered. Whole Lotta Red is still a divisive release, but nearly five years later, it’s a foundational recording in the rage subgenre of trap music.
In 2021, Kanye West released Donda, his tenth album. The song “Off The Grid,” featuring contributions from Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign, immediately became a fan favorite. Fans and critics called it one of the best hip-hop songs of 2021. The track also experienced success numbers-wise, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and going platinum.
To open 2024, West and Carti reunited for several more songs, which appeared on West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures collaborative albums. Of the several songs they made, “CARNIVAL,” from Vultures 1, was the topic of most discussions. West received most of the criticism for calling himself “Ye Kelly” and making references to Bill Cosby, Diddy, and Jesus. Carti received praise for his verse and energy on the track, one of the highlights on an album met with an otherwise lukewarm response. “CARNIVAL” became far and away the biggest hit of the Ye-Carti partnership. It was West’s fifth #1 single on the Hot 100 and Carti’s first. It’s also been certified double platinum. Even as West’s already precarious public image continued to deteriorate, he and Carti continued to find success musically.
10cc drummer Paul Burgess has announced that he is leaving the band because the demands of touring have become too much for him.
The 75-year-old musician, who also spent time performing with Jethro Tull, Camel, Magna Carta, and The Icicle Works, has chosen to walk away from the legendary rock group after more than five decades.
He shared: “After so many wonderful years with 10cc, I must admit that the rigours of touring are no longer manageable for me as I get older, and I feel it’s time to let go of the long hours in airports and endless travel on buses.
“I’m not planning to stop playing altogether. I will still perform but at a pace that feels right, working alongside old friends and a new group of fellow musicians called The Guilty Men.”
Frontman Graham Gouldman confessed that it will feel unusual to perform without his “longest-running musical associate.”
He explained: “When Paul and I first joined forces in 10cc, we never could have imagined that we’d still be at it after 30 years, let alone 52.
“Paul has been my longest musical partner and it will feel different to turn around and see another drummer, but I completely understand why he no longer wants to sit on a plane for 14 hours or wake up in a new hotel every day for weeks at a time.”
Ben Stone, who has previously played with Mike and The Mechanics and Bonnie Tyler, will be taking over on drums.
Paul, who had several runs with 10cc after joining in 1973, performed his final show with the I’m Not In Love band in Alexandria, Virginia this past September.
The group is set to continue their And Another Bloody Greatest Hits Tour in the UK next year.
