Kanye West Defends XXXTentacion on Posthumous Collaboration

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Kanye West would be turning up on XXXTentacion's first posthumous album, Skins, just months after Yeezy previewed a song from his postponed project Yandhi featuring the late rapper. The project has reportedly leaked online, and as such the intense collaboration with Kanye has also surfaced.

"So much hate at the top, it's a lonely place," Ye kicks off the song "One Minute." The verse continues with him making a number of illusions to death, even rapping the line, "And when I'm on my way, X hold the gate." Near the end, however, Kanye even goes so far as to defend X by bringing up his assault case. "Now your name is tainted, by the claims they paintin'/The defendant is guilty, no one blames the plaintiff," he raps near the end of his lengthy verse before X comes in with some screamed vocals.

When X was alive, his ex-girlfriend alleged that he beat her while she was pregnant. Pitchfork obtained a secret recording of the late rapper confessing to domestic abuse and numerous other acts of violence, in which he said, “I started fucking her up because she made one mistake. And from there, the whole cycle went down. Now she’s scared. That girl is scared for her life. Which I understand.”

Kanye is also throwing more support behind X in the lead-up to the release of Skins, which releases Nov. 7. To coincide with the release of the album, Kanye's YEEZY brand will release a three-piece merch collection with new designs by JJ Villard. The capsule collection is set to launch at the Skins listening party Thursday (Nov. 6), which takes places at the RC Cola Plant in Miami.

The event will be available to stream online for fans, and will feature performances from DJ Carnage, Trippie Redd, Ski Mask the Slump God, Matt Ox, Members Only, DJ Scheme, London On Da Track, and PnB Rock among others. The show will start at 9 p.m. ET and will reportedly feature a number of special guests. Tickets to attend the event can be purchased here.