Entertainment
From unreleased albums to video games: A look back at Kanye West’s canceled projects
Kanye West is a man with many plans, however not all of his passion projects actually make it out to the world (Picture: Getty)
Kanye West fans are still waiting for rapper’s latest album, Donda, to finally get its release, following yet another delay.
This feeling of déjà vu is alread leading many to worry the record might suffer the same fate as several other unreleased joints that never saw the light of day.
So what ever happened to those other albums that Ye promised to drop, only for us never to hear about them again?
Is he still working on that Only One video game? Or that HBO sitcom? Will we ever be able to stream Cruel Winter or Yandhi?
We take a look back at some of the Kanye West passion projects that never made the cut.
The Yeezus film
In February 2014, Kanye revealed that he would be released a visual accompaniment to his divise album.
Directed by music video icon Hype Williams, the movie was meant to be released in cinemas and even had a trailer.
If we are lucky, maybe Ye will just drop the film on Netflix one day.
A sitcom on HBO
In 2007, Kanye was working hard to create a hip-hop version of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Wyatt Cenac, an actor and comedian who worked with Kanye on the show, held a screening which some said was ‘not as bad as you hoped’.
Reporters who were lucky enough to see the full 30-minute pilot were very much divided as some call it ‘incredible’, while other labeled it ‘terrible’.
The YANDHI album
Yandhi was teased after 2018’s ye and was originally due out in September of the same year.
Seen as a sequel to Yeezus, Kanye actually played the songs to New York staff of The Fader.
Eventually, his then-wife Kim Kardashian announced the album would instead come out on November 23.
As you can guess, the album never came – but it has been leaked online meaning fans have grown to love some of the never released tracks such as Law of Attraction.
The Pastelle clothing line
Before Yeezy, there was Pastelle.
Complex recently published a oral history on the streetwear brand that never was, which recruited scores the likes of Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones of Louis Vuitton soon after the summer of 2007.
The line was descirbed as ‘a cross between that real golden era of Polo, a simpler A Bathing Ape, and a little bit of A.P.C.’ and would have included items ranging from leather jackets to tees to sunglasses.
Veteran jeweler Ben Baller even worked on a Pastelle Jesus piece chain made out of porcelain.
The team apparently completed an entire collection, but the rollout plan fizzled because Kanye ‘lost interest’ in the project.
The Only One iPhone game
Just like Donda pays homage to his late mother, Kanye previously put his mom’s influence at the front and center of his 2014 single, Only One.
The tender oder to his eldest daughter North led to Ye developing a video game based on the track.
In Only One the game, players were to take on the role of Donda West ascending to the gates of heaven.
The game was in production for over a year, and a trailer debuted at E3 2016. Then everything went quiet.
The Alligator Boots puppet show
Another creative project from 2007 that never came to fruition, Kanye and rapper Rhymefest were working on sketch comedy show utilizing felt puppets.
Featuring Crank Yankers co-creator Daniel Kellison, Jon Kimmel, and Jordan Peele as part of the creative team, the project was inspired by Rhymefest’s puppet alter-ego, Pork Troy, which he would assume in order to joke around during studio sessions for Graduation.
The pilot was filmed at the Jim Henson studio lot and the format was inspired by The Muppet Show.
The Cruel Winter album
2012 saw Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D Music release a compilation album featuring the likes of Big Sean, John Legend, and Teyana Taylor.
The intended successor Cruel Winter has been teased repeatedly over the years and the official first single Champions was even released in 2016.
Travis Scott said he was the project’s executive producer, and assured fans it would be out in early 2017. It is now 2021.
More: US Showbiz news
We won’t even talk about the joint album with Drake (titled Wolves), the talks of a joint Fame Kills tour with Lady Gaga, or other unreleased albums such as Chiraq, Watch The Throne 2, Turbo Grafx 16 and Good-A** Job.
It’s safe to say no-one has a more impressive catalog of unreleased projects than Kanye West.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Kanye West and Jay-Z reunite on Donda album after feud and fans can’t handle it
