Malik Peay
Malik Peay
The Chicago-raised rapper delivers BULLY, an album packed with punchy passion and a godspeed desire to prove himself.
Ye removes his fighting gloves, and underneath, his bloodied knuckles are sore and scarred from the violence they have suffered in the past — his latest serve, BULLY is all about accepting a change of heart.
Plausibly, one of the most controversial albums released in 2026 is Ye’s (formerly Kanye West), BULLY. The body of work was first announced in September 2024, when West was under public scrutiny for his salacious ideologies.
BULLY was pushed back multiple times and even had a delayed false start when it was originally supposed to stream on DSPs at midnight on March 27. Now, the 18-track album is out in the world, and West aims to purge and rid himself of all of the turmoil the artist has gone through in the past few years. His apology letter that circulated in the Wall Street Journal in early 2026 covered many of the topics this album dares to discuss.
BULLY’s black-and-white cover art features West’s son, Saint, grinning aggressively with a molten mouthguard attached to his grimacing smile. The project is Ye going back to his roots in hip-hop—808 drums, soulful samples, gospel-inspired choruses, and a sense of unbridled confidence.
The opening track “KING” welcomes the listener with a preacher’s outcry to man and nature. Then, the song quickly transitions to a cyberpunk club anthem similar to the otherworldly, electric rhythms found in YEEZUS (majorly produced by Mike Dean). Prime Chicago producer and artist The Legendary Traxster left his imprint on BULLY, emphasizing the soulful riffs found in tracks like the title song and “HIGHS AND LOWS”. The LP is a mosaic of classic microphone-robotized Ye melodies and rapped revelations.
The album’s production also features contributions from talkbox performer André Troutman, 88-Keys, James Blake, North West, Sheffmade, ISRAEL, and more. Nearly half of the album is entirely produced and engineered by Ye. However, the tracks with features include a slew of other producers. Sheffmade (BigXthaPlug, Polo G, SleazyWorld Go) has a total of 8 tracks produced on BULLY, from the chipmunk-influenced gospel production of “Punch Drunk” to his most heartfelt song, “Father." The latter track ushers in with a spiritual verse by crooner Johnnie Frierson. Then, the song completely shifts from a humbling profession to an outright commanding of attention orchestrated by Ye.
Travis Scott follows up Ye’s open-wounded raps about experiencing hate and a newfound sense of revival with a cocky brush off his shoulder. Together, they are musicians and fathers who have faced public hardship with ferocity and countered with a deep exploration of sonics.
BULLY isn’t a clean musical canvas. Ye certainly finds his groove, using synth, sampling, and grandiose measures to make his audience remember who he is. He doesn’t quite find his footing within the larger narrative of an album that is intended to resolve his past and bare all artistically.
His listening event in Inglewood was built around a scene of two Black fighters going neck and neck, and Ye has been going toe-to-toe with everyone who has a bone to pick for the past 5 years. BULLY is a hazy reflection of West’s missteps, and experiencing the album and the rest of his catalog at the 2-show run in Los Angeles at Sofi Stadium may be an inauguration of sorts to accept Ye back into our spheres.
Even the list of collaborating artists on BULLY highlights how West is capable of earning back people’s trust. Don Toliver, CeeLo Green, Travis Scott, and Peso Pluma can be heard throughout the LP. Ye’s impact on hip-hop and his extensive repertoire of musical creations are unforgettable. He has crafted the new sounds of modern rap and hip-hop today, ushering transformative artists like Travis Scott into music.
West’s verses have never been a major aspect of his lauded works—he has always been a producer first and rapper second, and BULLY underscores that. The painstaking journey of bringing this album to fruition seemed like an impossible expedition to trek through, yet Ye had an artistic, personal vendetta to right his wrongs.
The full list of producers who contributed to BULLY includes Ye, 88-Keys, André Troutman, Che' Fuego 3000, Hassan Khaffaf, Jahaan Sweet, James Blake, Just Da 1, the Legendary Traxster, Nkenge 1x, TK the Legend, Quadwoofer, RaMu, and Sheffmade.