Kanye West Opens Up About Mental Health, Drug Use in New Album 'Ye'
Kanye West finally dropped his eighth studio album called "Ye," where he talked about some of the issues that recently placed him in the headlines.
The rapper launched the seven-track album during an exclusive listening party in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Friday, June 1. The party was attended by some of the rapper's closest friends, including Jonah Hill, Chris Rock, Nas, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Ty Dolla Sign, Scott Disick, and West's wife Kim Kardashian West.
E! News revealed that the theme of West's new songs centered on the issues that he raised during his recent interviews, including the state of his mental health, suicide, opioids, as well as his controversial statements about slavery.
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In his opening track titled "I Thought About Killing You," West opened up about his darkest thoughts. The lyrics stated, "The most beautiful thoughts are always besides the darkest/Today I seriously thought about killing you/I contemplated, premeditated murder/And I think about killing myself, and I love myself way more than I love you, so."
West might be referring to his suicidal thoughts that he admitted in an interview back in 2010. However, he declared that he will never think about ending his own life again.
Meanwhile, his song called "Yikes" focused on several controversial topics while mentioning the names of several celebrities like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Russell Simmons.
One of the things that he discussed in the track is the opioid addiction that he developed after his liposuction procedure. According to the song, "I can feel the spirits all around me/I think Prince and Mike was tryna warn me/They know I got demons all on me."
West also used the song to call out Simmons, after the Def Jam Recordings co-founder commented that he was suffering and unraveling in public. In the track, the rapper sang "He sang, Russell Simmons wanna pray for me too/I'mma pray for him 'cause he got #MeToo'd."
He also admitted that he has a bipolar disorder in the line "That's my bipolar shit, n---a what/That's my superpower, n---a ain't no disability/I'm a superhero! I'm a superhero!"
Entertainment Tonight mentioned that fans of the rapper praised him for the meaningful lyrics of the song, saying that comparing himself to a superhero because seeing his bipolar disorder as a superpower is very encouraging. Others were proud of him for being honest about his mental health issues.
The song "All Mine" took a jab at the infidelity issue that involved Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson, who also happens to be the father of his sister-in-law Khloe Kardashian's child.
On the other hand, the song "Wouldn't Leave" included a line that talked about his controversial views about slavery, where he said, "I said, 'Slavery a choice.' They say, "How, Ye?"/Just imagine if they caught me on a wild day."
It also talked about his wife's reaction when he received a backlash after his interview with TMZ Live. "Wife calling screaming saying we're about to lose it all/I had to calm her down 'cause she couldn't breathe/I told her she could leave me now but she wouldn't leave," it went on to say.
Other tracks in the album include "No Mistakes," "Ghost Town," and "Violent Crimes."
