Kanye West has released a new song “DONDA,” in celebration of his mother, the late Donda West’s birthday. The elder West passed away at the age of 58 back in 2007, following heart failure caused by “multiple post-operative factors” following plastic surgery. This is the third song that has been specifically dedicated to Donda West by Kanye, following “Hey Mama,” featured on 2005’s Late Registration and the single “Only One” featuring legendary performer Paul McCartney.
“DONDA” opens up with West’s aforementioned mother reciting the KRS-One song “Sound Da Police,” which discusses the issue of police brutality among the black community. Her recitation is done in the form of spoken word poetry, complemented by elements of classic Kanye West production with clever use of soul vocal samples reminiscent of the work on his first couple of albums.
West’s lyrics match Donda’s recitation, as he speaks of contemporary issues facing Black people in America, while promising to bring new change such as ending racism and prison reform. The visual clips he shared showed vintage clips of him with his mother, shots of Chicago and images of the beach.
West is gearing up for the release of a new studio album titled God’s Country and premiered video for its first single called “Wash Us In The Blood” two weeks ago. He also appeared on a song alongside Ty Dolla $ign, FKA Twigs and Skrillex titled “Ego Death.”
The rapper has also been prominent in the news after it was revealed that Yeezy, his clothing company valued at over a billion dollars, received $2 to $5 million payment protection program loans. On July 4 West announced that he will be running for president, which attracted further controversy by artists such as Will.I.Am. He revealed further details regarding his candidacy during recent interview with Forbes.
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