Recent from talks
Donda 2
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Donda 2
Donda 2 is the eleventh studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It has also been described as a demo album, as it was initially released in an unfinished state on Kano Computing's Stem Player on February 23, 2022, with more songs added in an update. On April 29, 2025, West independently released Donda 2 on music streaming services via his YZY brand, with a different tracklist and updated production. Guest appearances include XXXTentacion, Don Toliver, Baby Keem, Migos, Travis Scott, Future, Jack Harlow, Sean Leon, Vory, Fivio Foreign, Alicia Keys, Soulja Boy, the Game, and Playboi Carti.
West began recording Donda 2 in early January 2022, producing it alongside Beach House, the Chainsmokers, Dem Jointz, Digital Nas, DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, Mike Dean, Sean Leon, Theophilus London, and Wheezy, among others, with Future serving as the executive producer. Although West recorded hundreds of songs during the production of Donda (2021), none of Donda 2's songs came from the Donda sessions. Donda 2 is a hip-hop album with R&B and trap elements. Lyrically, it explores West's anger and sadness stemming from his divorce from Kim Kardashian, and he directs insults towards Kardashian's then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. Multiple music critics described its sound as unfinished, and many of West's lyrics are unintelligible.
Donda 2's release was preceded by the singles "Eazy" and "City of Gods", released in January and February 2022 respectively—both of which peaked within the top 50 of the US Billboard Hot 100. West held "Kanye West: Donda Experience Performance", an accompanying listening party at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida on February 22, 2022, selling out 47 IMAX theaters across the United States; the event was plagued by technical failures. Donda 2 received mixed reviews, with criticism for its subject matter, song structures, lack of focus, and West's lyricism, though the production received some praise. It is generally considered one of West's worst albums. Due to its initial Stem Player exclusivity, Donda 2 was heavily pirated. Donda 2 did not chart on any known record charts; Billboard deemed it ineligible for its charts due to product bundling rules.
West was expected to update and finish the Stem Player release within a matter of months, but it received no major updates after February 2022. After West made a series of antisemitic statements in late 2022, Kano dissociated from him and discontinued the Stem Player. Numerous songs in a further state of completeness surfaced online through leaks, while others were reworked and released by other artists. In March 2025, West announced that he was returning to Donda 2. Digital Nas, who executive produced the streaming release, livestreamed his progress updating it throughout April, and West released it on streaming services on April 29.
In an interview with Complex on January 3, 2022, Victor Victor Worldwide CEO Steven Victor exclusively told the website that West had begun working on a sequel to his tenth studio album Donda (2021), entitled Donda 2. Victor later told the magazine that it was "coming sooner than you think", explaining: "The procession is starting and it's not stopping." On January 27, 2022, West captioned an Instagram photo of his childhood home in flames with a date of February 22 along with the title Donda 2, also mentioning fellow rapper Future will serve the role of executive producer. He had worked with Future in the past, featuring on his single "I Won" (2014). Most publications took this as an announcement of the album's release date, though it went unreleased on the date. Producer BoogzDaBeast revealed that even though hundreds of songs were recorded during the sessions for the first Donda album, the tracks recorded for Donda 2 were all new songs made after the announcement of the Donda 2 listening event.
Producer Digital Nas revealed that for Donda 2, West instructed him to make the songs sound "more monk-like" and to "simplify the tracks", and if they are "not able to be played at a funeral, childbirth, graduation, a wedding", then inclusion on the album is not appropriate. In late January 2022, the producer stated that singer Marilyn Manson was recording for Donda 2 daily in the studio. Manson had previously contributed to Donda and for the sequel, Digital Nas opened up that West did not want the singer to "play rap beats", desiring for him "to play what he makes" and then West would work on parts of his work. Digital Nas compared the creative process to that of West's sixth studio album Yeezus (2013), also saying that some of the producers who contributed to the album were working on Donda 2.
On February 17, 2022, West announced that Donda 2 will not be available on any commercial streaming services and will be exclusive to his Stem Player audio device, priced at US$200, which was previously released with Donda. He explained that his motive is how artists "get just 12% of the money the industry makes" when their music is available on the platforms, calling for a time for freedom from "this oppressive system". According to West, he made around $2.2 million from purchases of the Stem Player within 24 hours of the announcement, having sold over 8,000 copies. However, West making the album only available on the device led to criticism from his fans. As a result of the rapper's decision, Apple reportedly pulled their $2 million sponsorship deal with him, as they were scheduled to stream the accompanying concert. In a series of Instagram posts, West declared that he had turned down a $100 million deal with the company. The first batch of songs that were played at the Miami listening event on February 22, 2022–which were added to the device on February 24–contained half-mumbled reference tracks and incomplete songs; West continued finishing the album during February. The co-inventor of the Stem Player tweeted that official Donda 2 songs are available and always updated via the device, adding that "anywhere else, you're not getting the vision or the latest versions", insinuating that West planned to update the album as he had done previously with The Life of Pablo and Donda in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
Donda 2 is a hip-hop album. The album was described in multiple reviews as seeming unfinished, with Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork viewing it as an "undercooked" album posing as an "ever-changing art piece" that may remain incomplete. A production style that incorporates "see-sawing synth patterns" was observed by The Guardian journalist Alexis Petridis in his review of the album, who also commented that there is a lack of focus, seeing certain songs as resembling demos. According to HipHopDX writer Matthew Ritchie, large stretches of the production demonstrate West's "attention to detail" that creates a background for songs.
Hub AI
Donda 2 AI simulator
(@Donda 2_simulator)
Donda 2
Donda 2 is the eleventh studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It has also been described as a demo album, as it was initially released in an unfinished state on Kano Computing's Stem Player on February 23, 2022, with more songs added in an update. On April 29, 2025, West independently released Donda 2 on music streaming services via his YZY brand, with a different tracklist and updated production. Guest appearances include XXXTentacion, Don Toliver, Baby Keem, Migos, Travis Scott, Future, Jack Harlow, Sean Leon, Vory, Fivio Foreign, Alicia Keys, Soulja Boy, the Game, and Playboi Carti.
West began recording Donda 2 in early January 2022, producing it alongside Beach House, the Chainsmokers, Dem Jointz, Digital Nas, DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, Mike Dean, Sean Leon, Theophilus London, and Wheezy, among others, with Future serving as the executive producer. Although West recorded hundreds of songs during the production of Donda (2021), none of Donda 2's songs came from the Donda sessions. Donda 2 is a hip-hop album with R&B and trap elements. Lyrically, it explores West's anger and sadness stemming from his divorce from Kim Kardashian, and he directs insults towards Kardashian's then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. Multiple music critics described its sound as unfinished, and many of West's lyrics are unintelligible.
Donda 2's release was preceded by the singles "Eazy" and "City of Gods", released in January and February 2022 respectively—both of which peaked within the top 50 of the US Billboard Hot 100. West held "Kanye West: Donda Experience Performance", an accompanying listening party at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida on February 22, 2022, selling out 47 IMAX theaters across the United States; the event was plagued by technical failures. Donda 2 received mixed reviews, with criticism for its subject matter, song structures, lack of focus, and West's lyricism, though the production received some praise. It is generally considered one of West's worst albums. Due to its initial Stem Player exclusivity, Donda 2 was heavily pirated. Donda 2 did not chart on any known record charts; Billboard deemed it ineligible for its charts due to product bundling rules.
West was expected to update and finish the Stem Player release within a matter of months, but it received no major updates after February 2022. After West made a series of antisemitic statements in late 2022, Kano dissociated from him and discontinued the Stem Player. Numerous songs in a further state of completeness surfaced online through leaks, while others were reworked and released by other artists. In March 2025, West announced that he was returning to Donda 2. Digital Nas, who executive produced the streaming release, livestreamed his progress updating it throughout April, and West released it on streaming services on April 29.
In an interview with Complex on January 3, 2022, Victor Victor Worldwide CEO Steven Victor exclusively told the website that West had begun working on a sequel to his tenth studio album Donda (2021), entitled Donda 2. Victor later told the magazine that it was "coming sooner than you think", explaining: "The procession is starting and it's not stopping." On January 27, 2022, West captioned an Instagram photo of his childhood home in flames with a date of February 22 along with the title Donda 2, also mentioning fellow rapper Future will serve the role of executive producer. He had worked with Future in the past, featuring on his single "I Won" (2014). Most publications took this as an announcement of the album's release date, though it went unreleased on the date. Producer BoogzDaBeast revealed that even though hundreds of songs were recorded during the sessions for the first Donda album, the tracks recorded for Donda 2 were all new songs made after the announcement of the Donda 2 listening event.
Producer Digital Nas revealed that for Donda 2, West instructed him to make the songs sound "more monk-like" and to "simplify the tracks", and if they are "not able to be played at a funeral, childbirth, graduation, a wedding", then inclusion on the album is not appropriate. In late January 2022, the producer stated that singer Marilyn Manson was recording for Donda 2 daily in the studio. Manson had previously contributed to Donda and for the sequel, Digital Nas opened up that West did not want the singer to "play rap beats", desiring for him "to play what he makes" and then West would work on parts of his work. Digital Nas compared the creative process to that of West's sixth studio album Yeezus (2013), also saying that some of the producers who contributed to the album were working on Donda 2.
On February 17, 2022, West announced that Donda 2 will not be available on any commercial streaming services and will be exclusive to his Stem Player audio device, priced at US$200, which was previously released with Donda. He explained that his motive is how artists "get just 12% of the money the industry makes" when their music is available on the platforms, calling for a time for freedom from "this oppressive system". According to West, he made around $2.2 million from purchases of the Stem Player within 24 hours of the announcement, having sold over 8,000 copies. However, West making the album only available on the device led to criticism from his fans. As a result of the rapper's decision, Apple reportedly pulled their $2 million sponsorship deal with him, as they were scheduled to stream the accompanying concert. In a series of Instagram posts, West declared that he had turned down a $100 million deal with the company. The first batch of songs that were played at the Miami listening event on February 22, 2022–which were added to the device on February 24–contained half-mumbled reference tracks and incomplete songs; West continued finishing the album during February. The co-inventor of the Stem Player tweeted that official Donda 2 songs are available and always updated via the device, adding that "anywhere else, you're not getting the vision or the latest versions", insinuating that West planned to update the album as he had done previously with The Life of Pablo and Donda in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
Donda 2 is a hip-hop album. The album was described in multiple reviews as seeming unfinished, with Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork viewing it as an "undercooked" album posing as an "ever-changing art piece" that may remain incomplete. A production style that incorporates "see-sawing synth patterns" was observed by The Guardian journalist Alexis Petridis in his review of the album, who also commented that there is a lack of focus, seeing certain songs as resembling demos. According to HipHopDX writer Matthew Ritchie, large stretches of the production demonstrate West's "attention to detail" that creates a background for songs.