During a brief headlining-making (like most everything he’s up to these days) stopin London for Fashion Week, Kanye West made an appearance at an afterparty where he previewed some new songs he and James Blake had recorded.
In videos captured by partygoers, West appeared in good spirits as he took over the DJ booth and adjusted the equalizers on the turntables while a few seconds of a song began to play. He cut the track shortly after those seconds but played a song for a bit longer after that (difficult to decipher whether it was the same one or different). Fans quickly drew comparisons that the longer track previewed sounded like the 2016 Blake track “Always.”
Blake re-shared the videos, adding: “It’s my birthday and [West] is playing tracks we made I’m good for presents thanks.” He later asserted via Twitter that the track did not include a “sample” of “Always,” as some fans were supposing. “Doesn’t sample ‘Always.’ It’s new,” he tweeted. Riling up fans even further, he revealed that he had also produced two other songs with West.
It’s my birthday and @kanyewest is playing tracks we made I’m good for presents thanks
— James Blake (@jamesblake) September 27, 2022
Although there are no details or confirmation on whether or not these songs will ever see the light of day, the move affirms West and Blake’s long-established eagerness to produce records together.
Despite the fact that the pair have never released music together, West has previously shared his affinity for Blake — calling him his favorite artist during an interview in 2013. Blake has also been heavily sought after in the rap and hip-hop community, having already worked with titans like Travis Scott and most recently, with Freddie Gibbs.
