Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have the No. 1 album in America right now. The ¥$ duo’s Vultures 1 opened in the top spot of this week’s Billboard 200 chart.
Vultures 1 debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 148,000 first-week units. This gives Kanye West his 11th No. 1 project. Ty Dolla $ign scored his first Number One.
With 11 chart-toppers, West broke a third-place tie with Eminem for most No. 1 albums by a rapper. The Chicago-bred performer/producer only trails Jay-Z (14) and Drake (13).
Vultures 1’s Billboard chart success comes after Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign delayed the project’s release on several occasions. The body of work finally arrived on February 9.
However, Vultures 1 underwent a series of setbacks after it hit DSPs. For example, the Donna Summer estate accused West of copyright infringement for supposedly using elements from the late singer’s “I Feel Love” for ¥$’s “Good (Don’t Die)” song.
Apple Music also pulled Vultures 1 from the streaming platform, reportedly in response to the FUGA distribution company’s request to have the album removed. FUGA claimed Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign violated a service agreement.
West also faced backlash from heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne. The lead vocalist of Black Sabbath blasted Ye for allegedly sampling the band’s music without permission.
Osbourne also called the “Carnival” rapper an antisemite. In 2022, Kanye West made offensive remarks about the Jewish community and praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. He later apologized for the “unintended outburst” and “pain” caused by his comments.