Ye, formerly Kanye West
, once wore artistic ingenuity like a second skin, a USP separating the star from the rest of the constellation. But after 18 months of creative siesta, his comeback has been tangled in turbulence over his newfound embrace of AI. As the lone architect of his career, having shaped hip-hop’s very blueprint, his return has been less of a smooth landing and more of a runway littered with roadblocks. With his elusive ‘Vultures’ project still circling in limbo, fans are bracing for ‘Bully’ to echo ‘808s & Heartbreak,’ only this time, swapping the once-controversial auto-tune for AI’s takeover.
Ye has always been ahead of his time, rendering him as one of the most misunderstood artists ever to stage multiple comebacks despite his magnetic reputation for controversies. Although the forecast for a double whammy this year has fans on the edge of their seats since day one, an X user and Ye fan recently sparked an intense discussion online, likening the rapper’s over-dependence on AI for ‘Bully’ from his clips with Justin LaBoy’s interview as a déjà vu for the auto-tune frenzy he ignited during the rollout of ‘808s & Heartbreak.’
Kanye is trying to make this a sequel to the auto-tune moment that he had for 808s & Heartbreak.
people looked down on autotune as an art form, and he reversed that.
the issue, however, is that AI isn’t helping him expand his horizons. He’s using it to be lazy. https://t.co/Hy07HNwiyx
— Did Kanye drop Bully today? (@didjesusdrop) February 4, 2025
Once upon a beat, Ye turned auto-tune from taboo to treasure. And now, the maverick stands at another crossroads with AI at his fingertips, prompting fans to wonder if ‘Bully’ could be the next chapter in his saga of reinvention. But a catch that has the fandom playing mental ping-pong is that unlike his auto-tune revolution, Ye’s dive into AI feels less like a stroke of genius and more like the result of creative complacency.
Read More: With ‘Bully’ Confirmed, Are Fans Getting ‘Vultures 3’ Too This Year? Here Are the Possibilities
Auto-tune was his magic carpet, soaring to new creative realms, but fans doubt AI will be his next great vehicle to reach out for the stars.
Ye fans get split over Bully’s AI usage and 808s & Heartbreak’s auto-tune vision
Ye may have transformed auto-tune from a ridiculed gimmick to an art form, but whether AI stands with a similar potential is anyone’s guess. However, as whispers of AI fill the air, the fandom has been caught in a tug-of-war, polarized between faith in Ye’s artistic prowess and disillusionment with his digital dalliances. As a result, fans are left visibly dazed.
Autotune and AI aren’t the same thing. We don’t know how the AI on bully will be, but it feels like he’s just being lazy and letting it do the work for him. The Kanye we knew is gone, this is embarrassing for his legacy considering how much he accomplished with his creativity.
— 7.443.584 | FRAUDE 🇻🇪 (@randolui) February 4, 2025
Exactly what i was thinking, but only time will tell
— josi (@josefinacueli) February 4, 2025
I believe in him
— GiggyCresent27 (@cresent2792555) February 4, 2025
Sure, some fans are too loyal to doubt his craft, let alone the rapper himself.
“AI” is just a blanket term for the average persons view on machine learning. The possibilities are endless when it comes to AI automation. You can perfectly synthesize any audio, and automate workflow. at the end of the day, someone using AI will emerge to set the new standard…
— Δαυίδ (@itsdavmf) February 4, 2025
Kanye would be back
— Last Day With You (@Last_DayWithYou) February 4, 2025
With the idea floating and sparking brainstorming sessions, many even agreed that the fears were never theirs only. Of course, a few folks shed tears, lamenting his genius being traded for contemplation
. However, the audience, once harmonized by his innovation, was clearly stuck in dissonance, uncertain if his next act would come together with brilliance or burnout.
What do you think of Ye’s fans’ polarity over AI reliance in ‘Bully’ as opposed to the auto-tune frenzy in ‘808s & Heartbreak’? Let us know in the comments below!
