Kanye West has shared a new trailer to tease his forthcoming album, Vultures, featuring sinister visuals by artist and filmmaker Jon Rafman.
The trailer—released Tuesday on X—portrays a feverish story in which a suburban city is overtaken by cultists and remade into a playground for braying wolf men, murderous clowns, and ravenous crows. West sings throughout the film, and his lyrics double as a dubious defense against allegations of misogyny and antisemitism. The trailer builds to a ghostly militia in battle formation against a backdrop of burning homes.
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As revealed in the later Instagram post by West (who now goes by Ye), the long-delayed album will release in three parts arriving on February 9, March 8, and April 5, respectively.
The Vultures collaboration marks a high-profile test of the spotlight for Rafman, whose career was derailed in 2020 after three women accused the Canadian artist of sexual misconduct on the Instagram @surviving_the_artworld. The account, which was launched at the height of the #MeToo movement, posted allegations of abusive behavior in the art industry.
Rafman later told Artnet News, “I empathize with their voices, but I disagree with how these testimonies have been labeled on Instagram and in the press.” He sued the Montreal Gazette for defamation for its coverage of the allegations. That case was settled earlier this year, with the Gazette issuing a letter as part of the settlement. In the letter, the Gazette’s editor-in-chief affirms that the newspaper “did not give equal time or space” for Rafman to “refute the claims” against him, and notes he had evidence that he presented to the Gazette after filing the claim. The Gazette also took down the three articles covering the allegations from its website, as part of the settlement.
Rafman issued a statement apologizing for his conduct in 2020, and later told Artnet News, “I empathize with their voices, but I disagree with how these testimonies have been labeled on Instagram and in the press.”
Rafman’s surreal video installations and film essays have been widely exhibited—his Dream Journal (2016–2019) was included in the 2019 Venice Biennale—but several solo exhibitions were suspended in the wake of the scandal.
West, himself no stranger to controversy, has been heavily condemned for antisemitic behavior that stretches back over a decade. In 2023, he publicly apologized for his inflammatory remarks. If the Vultures trailer is taken as evidence, however, he has pivoted and is now on the offensive.