Kanye West Talks New LP, Beck Controversy and Scrapped Drake Collaboration

BY Josiah HughesPublished Feb 20, 2015

This morning (February 20), Kanye West appeared on the Power 105.1 program The Breakfast Club, sitting in with the show for a full hour. The lengthy interview included a great deal of interesting tidbits about Kanye and his career.

West revealed that his new solo album is 80 percent done and will be released as a surprise album. He added that the record will be composed of "bars, songs, cookout music that just feels good. My last album was a protest to music, I was like 'I'm gonna take my ball and go home'....This album is embracing the music, joy. Being of service to the people. I just hope people like it and enjoy it."

That said, he does plan to address the recent spate of racially charged police brutality in America on the album. He explained that he kept mum about situations like the one in Ferguson based on advice from his father. "My dad emailed me and said 'Stay out of it.' That's my only parent, so I have to listen.... I think he's trying to be protective of his son. I can't run in front of every single bullet."

One song from West's new album is "Wolves," which recently debuted at his Adidas fashion show and was later performed on SNL. Kanye explained that the track was originally intended for an album-length Drake collaboration that has since been scrapped. "The song came from a conversation me and Drake had where we were supposed to do an album together — it was supposed to be called Wolves," Kanye said. "We said we was gonna do it, he was sending beats back and forth."

In other collaborative news, Kanye revealed that the forthcoming Rihanna album, which he's executive producing, will likely feature a Young Thug song that he produced.

Of course, you can't talk to Kanye in 2015 without bringing up his recent Beck controversy at the Grammys. In the new interview, Kanye revealed that he has Beck's phone number and he's meaning to get in touch. "I just keep forgetting," he said. He also mentioned that Beck deserved to win Rock Album, just not Album of the Year.

Watch Kanye West's full appearance on The Breakfast Club below. 

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