Why Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign’s 'Vultures 1' Was Removed From Streaming

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative album, Vultures 1, was pulled from Apple Music for a few hours - and almost removed from other streaming services - following a distributor dispute.

The album, released last Saturday (10 February), turns out to have been dropped on streaming services without the permission of its distributor, according to a new report.

FUGA, the business-to-business tech and distribution point for record labels, was approached by West and Ty Dolla $ign last year but opted not to work with them. However, when tracks landed on YouTube, Billboard discovered through the video platform’s content management system that the songs were posted through FUGA anyway.

“Late last year, FUGA was presented with the opportunity to release Vultures 1. Exercising our judgment in the ordinary course of business, we declined to do so,” a spokesperson for FUGA told Billboard.

Due to the album allegedly being released without the distributor’s approval, FUGA is working with partners on digital streaming platforms (DSPs) to pull the LP.

The spokesperson added, “On Friday, February 9, 2024, a long-standing FUGA client delivered the album Vultures 1 through the platform’s automated processes, violating our service agreement. Therefore, FUGA is actively working with its DSP partners and the client to remove Vultures 1 from our systems.”

A distributor like FUGA can pull a record from streaming services at its discretion. However, Billboard reports that the company hasn’t confirmed whether or not it’ll make that decision or help transfer the material to another distributor.

Rolling Stone Australia revealed that Vultures 1 is now being distributed via Label Engine, a distribution company owned by Create Music Group, and has returned to Apple Music.

Last week, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne fired at Kanye West after the rapper and singer allegedly used an unauthorised sample of the Black Sabbath track Iron Man.

“Kanye West asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘Iron Man’ from the US Festival without vocals & was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many,” Osbourne wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), all in capital letters. “He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!”

West previously, and legally, sampled Iron Man on his 2010 song Hell Of A Life.

On Saturday, West was accused of sampling Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love on the Vultures 1 track Good (Don’t Die) without permission. The song was removed from streaming services following a complaint of copyright infringement from the Donna Summer estate.