After years of rumors, false starts, and delays, Kanye West finally dropped Bully. His 17th album, it is being presented as a return to form for the rapper who has had various ups and downs—extreme downs—over the years.
But Bully is a legitimate moment for the rapper, who has been capitalizing on the album's release by hosting shows all around the world. His latest came at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles last night and felt just as much like a Hall of Fame victory lap as a release show for Bully, with Ye running through the greatest hits of his catalogue. (He has another show at SoFi on Friday, April 3.)
Like any Kanye album, it takes an army to make one of these records. And Bully features a mix of newcomers and Yeezy veterans across every facet of the album—from songwriting and production to packaging and music videos.
Here are the people behind the scenes on Kanye West's Bully.
Aus Taylor
Creative Director:
The man of the hour. Aus, who is from Baltimore and has spent years working with Ye, served as Stage Designer for the SoFi shows.
Audio Jacc
Producer
Audio Jacc has worked with rappers like Jdot Breezy, FCB Heem, and Polo G. Most recently, he executive produced the latest album from burgeoning Chicago rapper MAF Teeski.
Sheffmade
Producer
Sheffmade has a number of credits of notable credits with rappers like Dave Blunts, Mello Buckzz, EST Gee, and more. He also worked with Kanye during his most controversial era, producing songs like “WW3.” on Bully he helped produced eight songs, like “King,” “Father,” and "Punch Drunk."
Daido Moriyama
Photographer
Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama shot the cover for Bully, which features a close-up shot of Ye’s son Saint West with black grills.
The cover is paying homage to Ohaguro, a Japanese custom of blackening your teeth.
Bianca Censori
Director
Kanye West's wife, Bianca Censori, directed the music video for his song "Father." In a quote provided to Complex, she explained her approach for the striking one-shot video.
"The film presents a church not as a real place, but as a surreal dreamlike environment, where time feels slowed, spatial logic is distorted, and reality becomes fantasy," Censori, who is an architect, told Complex over email.
Andre Troutman
Collaborator
Andre Troutman is the breakout star of Bully. He is the Music Director for YE and worked on a number of songs and appears on "White Lines" and "All the Love," using the Talkbox. Speaking of the Talkbox, he is also the cousin of Roger Troutman, from the early-’80s funk band Zapp.
The Legendary Traxster
Producer
The Legendary Traxster, one of the OGs of Chicago hip-hop production, has production credits on three songs on Bully—the title track, "King" and "Highs and Lows"—and engineered two. He has built a strong relationship with Ye, having also worked together on Vultures.
TK the Legend
Songwriter and producer
According to TK the Legend, Andre Troutman brought him into the fold. He wrote on multiple songs, including "All the Love," "Bully," "Damn," "Highs and Lows," "This One Here," and "Mama's Favorite."
Quentin Miller
Songwriter
Miller and Ye have had their ups and downs over the years. But the veteran songwriter seems like he's back in the fold and wrote on multiple songs, including album standout "Preacher Man," "Highs and Lows," "This One Here," and "I Can't Wait."
Tony Williams
Co-producer
Tony Williams is Kanye's cousin and has been on almost all of his albums. He worked on the song "I Can't Wait."
Che Pope
Co-producer
An OG in music, Che Pope has worn many hats as a longtime Kanye collaborator—from G.O.O.D. Music president to producer. His credits include "King," "Father," "All the Love," "Mama's Favorite," and "Sisters and Brothers."
Jahaan Sweet
Co-producer
Jahaan Sweet is a vet, building creidabilty over the years for his work with Kehlainh and then A Boogie and Travis Scott (Japan worked on “Fein.”) The producer has a credit on “Father.”