A few weeks ago, word on the Internet was that Kanye West was reportedly holing up in a mountaintop retreat (whether in Wyoming or Utah remains unclear) and working on a new album.
In a new interview with Variety, the CEO of 'Ye's label, Def Jam, confirms that the discreet rapper is, indeed, working on something.
"I don’t know if that’s real or not, I read the same things you do," Steve Bartels tells the magazine, in reference to the mountaintop recording sessions. "When we talk we don’t really get down to the granular of where he’s going and how he’s flying there, we keep it much more on a broader level. Kanye is working, that’s been widely reported. He’s always very focused, and our relationship with him is that we always have great respect for him and when he’s ready to do something or talk about something, we’re there for him, we totally support his vision and his focus, and that’s where we leave it. I check in with him from time to time just to see how he’s doing. What’s great about our relationship is that I always know when it’s go time — because he wakes me up. [Laughter]."
It seemed to be go-time for 'Ye last fall when the rapper announced that he would embark on the Saint Pablo tour in support of his Billboard 200-topping, platinum seventh studio album The Life of Pablo. Then, in November, West was hospitalized due to exhaustion and sleep deprivation. After several sporadic on-stage rants about Jay Z, Beyoncé and Donald Trump during the first few shows of the tour, he later canceled the remainder of the trek. He also took down his social media accounts earlier this year.
So the question remains: will Kanye make his comeback with new music this year? "You never know," adds Bartels. "He’s always working, so maybe so. It’s never something we’re pushing — it’s always led by the creative side."
