List of unreleased albums

Throughout his career, Kanye West has been known for his innovative music style and boundary-pushing creativity. However, a number of his projects have garnered attention for being announced or teased but ultimately unreleased. This article provides an overview of some of the most notable unreleased albums in West's discography, delving into the context, speculation, and fan reception surrounding these projects.

Nearly every album of his was preceded by a different scrapped project, excluding The College Dropout (2004), Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), and Donda 2 (2022).

List

Cover	Title	Summary	Recorded
	Good Ass Job	As far back as 2003, Kanye planned to release a four-album series based on his experiences in college. While the first three albums released to critical acclaim, Good Ass Job was scrapped following Donda West's death in November 2007. After 808s & Heartbreak released, Kanye began working on the album again in late 2008. However, after the infamous 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, in which Kanye snatched the microphone from Taylor Swift, he received endless backlash from the public, leading Kanye to temporarily quit music before moving to Hawaii to record new music. By the summer of 2010, the album evolved into the critically-acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.	2008-2010
	Thank God For Drugs	In late 2012, Kanye began working on his sixth studio album following the compilation album, Cruel Summer, by his label, GOOD Music. By May 2013, the album, titled Thank God For Drugs, contained 20 tracks. However, producer Rick Rubin convinced Kanye to condense the material and take a more raw direction. The album was soon renamed to Yeezus.	2012-2013
	Cruel Winter	After releasing Cruel Summer, Kanye began working on a sequel titled Cruel Winter. The album was teased as early as the fall of 2012, as it was initially a "Kanye and Q-Tip thing". The album was presumably scrapped by the end of 2013, but Kanye revived the album in late 2015. It was executively produced by Travis Scott and featured trap elements, as shown in the album's lead single, "Champions", which released in June 2016. The album was put on hold following Kanye's rants and hospitalization during the Saint Pablo Tour, but it was still being teased by some artists throughout 2017. However, it was likely scrapped by the end of that year. NOTE: The cover is for "Champions", not for Cruel Winter.	2012-2013, 2015-2017
	Yeezus 2	In August 2013, Kanye began working on a sequel to Yeezus. At first, the album was set to feature leftover songs that were cut from Yeezus. However, by 2014, the album had evolved into a completely different project with new material.	2013-2014
	So Help Me God	In late 2014, Yeezus 2 evolved into a separate project from Yeezus, titled So Help Me God. The album featured more advanced versions of songs from Yeezus 2, along with new songs. Kanye announced the album in February 2015 and released three singles during this era; "Only One", "FourFiveSeconds", and "All Day". However, by May, it evolved into yet another project.	2014-2015
	SWISH	By May 2015, the album was renamed to SWISH. While Kanye was still working on Yeezus 2 and SHMG songs, most of them were scrapped in favor of other songs which ended up on The Life of Pablo.	2015-2016
	Waves	In January 2016, Kanye renamed the album to Waves. However, this led to a Twitter feud with Wiz Khalifa because Wiz believed that Kanye was taking away Max B's "waves". Less than a week before the album's release, Kanye announced that the album was again renamed to The Life of Pablo.	2016
	Turbo Grafx 16	Only 10 days after releasing The Life of Pablo, Kanye announced his eighth studio album, which was set to be titled Turbo Grafx 16, named after Kanye's favorite video game console. The album had video game-inspired production and was set to release in the summer of 2016. However, the album was put on hold and eventually scrapped due to the Saint Pablo Tour. NOTE: The cover is fanmade.	2016
	Wolves	In February 2015, Kanye first teased a potential collaborative album with Drake in an interview on Hot97 radio. While Drake and Kanye collaborated a handful of times since this interview, they didn't tease a collaborative album again until OVO Fest in August 2016, during which Drake asked the audience if they were ready if he and Kanye made an album together. Later that month, billboards were seen in Los Angeles with the phrase, "Calabasas is the new Abu Dhabi". The logos of Kanye and Drake's labels, were also seen on the bottom, further teasing an album between the two. However, during a performance in the Saint Pablo Tour, Kanye ranted about several people and topics, including Drake. The album was presumably scrapped soon after this occurred. Very little is known about this project, as only one song from the creation of this record is known to exist. It's unknown if any other songs exist.	2017
	LOVE EVERYONE	Following his hospitalization and bipolar diagnosis, Kanye spent the entirety of 2017 quietly living with his family in a mountain ranch in Wyoming. During this time, he began working on music with other artists in the now-infamous Wyoming sessions. He also began working on his eighth studio album. In April 2018, Kanye announced on Twitter that the album was titled LOVE EVERYONE and the cover was set to feature a mugshot of Dr. Jan Adams, the doctor whom many blamed for Donda West's death. During this time, Kanye released two polarizing singles; "Lift Yourself" and "Ye vs. the People". The concept of the album came to an end following Kanye's infamous TMZ interview on May 1, 2018, in which he said that slavery was "a choice". It was renamed to ye soon after.	2017-2018
	Good Ass Job	In September 2018, Kanye announced that he and Chance the Rapper would be releasing a collaborative album, titled Good Ass Job. Calling back to Kanye's original unreleased album of the same name, this album was set to feature 7 songs. However, it was quickly scrapped. NOTE: The cover is fanmade.	2018
	Yandhi	Kanye began working on new music only a month after ye released. However, the concept of Yandhi didn't form until September 2018, when he first heard the beat for "Hurricane". He announced that the album would release on September 29, following an appearance at SNL. However, the album didn't release on that date. Kanye's then-wife, Kim Kardashian, later revealed that the album was set to release on Black Friday. After performing with Kid Cudi in Camp Flog Gnaw, Kanye realized that Yandhi wasn't finished and indefinitely delayed the album. He moved to Uganda for inspiration, but after an alleged near-kidnapping, Kanye had a religious breakthrough and began to take the album in a more gospel-like direction. Shortly after his and the Sunday Service Choir's performance at Coachella in 2019, Kanye renamed the album to JESUS IS KING. Yandhi has since become arguably Kanye's most famous unreleased album due to its potential.	2018-2019
	JESUS IS KING: The Dr. Dre Version	Immediately after releasing JESUS IS KING, Kanye began working on a collaborative album with legendary producer Dr. Dre. The album was set to feature remixes of JIK songs, produced by Dre, along with songs that were cut from JIK. Kanye teased the album during his #WESTDAYEVER campaign, but it never released. It was presumably scrapped by late 2020.	2019-2020
	God's Country	While working on JESUS IS KING: The Dr. Dre Version, Kanye also began creating material for his tenth studio album, tentatively named God's Country. While it did keep the gospel themes, it also featured much darker production compared to JESUS IS KING, as highlighted by the album's lead single, "Wash Us In The Blood". However, by July 2020, the album evolved into a different project.	2019-2020
	DONDA: WITH CHILD	On July 18, 2020, Kanye revealed a track list for his tenth studio album, DONDA: WITH CHILD, also known as DONDA. The album was named after Kanye's late mother, Donda West. However, it failed to release as expected and it was soon delayed indefinitely. In October 2020, Kanye released a single, "Nah Nah Nah", celebrating his presidential run. A remix of the song was released a month later.	2020
	Donda (Pio Pico sessions)	In early 2021, Kanye went into silence to work on his tenth studio album, which evolved into Donda. This era has been nicknamed the "Green Tiles" era due to Kanye working on the album in the Pio Pico studio in Los Angeles. This era features dirtier lyrics not seen since ye, such as "Tell you the truth, my dick don't like condoms" in an early version of "New Again". However, the dirty lyrics were again removed for more spiritual themes and the album again evolved into the Donda project that we know today. Leakers have falsely claimed that this era was named Spirits Over The Horizon, likely to promote selling leaks.	2021
	Donda (Mercedes-Benz sessions)	By July of 2021, the sound direction of Donda had shifted for a third time according to writer Malik Yusef. This copy of the album is commonly referred to as the "Mercedes-Benz" sessions, given Kanye had moved into the Mercedes-Benz stadium to finalize the album by the end of the month. The last known version of Donda before its final release.	2021
	WAR	After releasing Donda 2 on the Stem Player in February 2022, Ye began working on a collaborative album with James Blake and No I.D., both of whom had worked with Ye previously. However, during the Yeezy Season 9 fashion show, Ye was seen in a shirt with the controversial phrase, "WHITE LIVES MATTER". The song, "What I Would Have Said At Virgil’s Funeral", was also previewed at the show. As Ye began making antisemitic comments later on in the year, the album was presumably scrapped.	2022
	YEBU	Sometime in the fall of 2022, Ye began working on his 11th solo album. Progress on the album especially ramped up in early 2023, though the album was eventually scrapped after Ye and Ty made music together in Japan in June 2023. The songs on the album were set to be heavily sample-based and more bitter-sounding, as evidenced by songs such as "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Love Love Love", and "Ceremony Freestyle". Some of the songs from YEBU were later repurposed for the VULTURES albums. NOTE: The cover is for "Someday We'll All Be Free", not for YEBU.	2022-2023
	Bad Bitch Play Book	Following Ye's antisemitic remarks, Ye had traveled to Tokyo, Japan and began to work on a collaborative record with Ty on June 29th. At this point, the record that was to turn into VULTURES 1 was named "Bad Bitch Play Book" and worked off of several already existing Ty songs, like "Paid" and "Promotion". Other songs were also created within the four-month period of work inside of Tokyo and Italy, but the album was ultimately scrapped in favor of VULTURES by their trip to Saudi.	2023

Other albums

Watch The Throne 2

Main article: Watch The Throne 2

In September 2018, Kanye randomly teased a potential sequel to his and Jay-Z's collaborative album, Watch The Throne, on Twitter. Justin Laboy also revealed that Kanye and Jay were working on new music, and Watch The Throne 2 would be releasing by the end of 2021. However, nothing ever came from this. Ye also teased the album in his infamous interview with Drink Champs in October 2022, although it is likely that he was just joking. Jay-Z hasn't commented on the album once.

KIDS SEE GHOSTS 2

Main article: KIDS SEE GHOSTS 2

In several interview in 2019, Kid Cudi revealed that he and Kanye had been working on a sequel to their debut album, KIDS SEE GHOSTS. However, in 2022, the duo's friendship came to an end in the midst of Ye's feud with Pete Davidson, who was friends with Cudi. In an Instagram post, Ye announced that Cudi would not be featured on Donda 2 due to his friendship with Pete, and Cudi replied that he didn't need Ye anyway, calling him a "dinosaur". On December 15, 2023, the duo finally ended their beef as they were seen hugging in an afterparty for the VULTURES rave in Las Vegas. As of now, it is unknown if Ye and Cudi will release the project.

Miscellaneous

• Collaboration with Mikkey Halsted

In an interview with Complex in 2017, CyHi would go on to confirm that Cruel Winter by GOOD Music had been completed in its entirety and was just waiting on clearance from all artists involved, further going on to state there had been enough songs to also release a "Cruel Autumn" and "Cruel Spring". Whether these had actually been planned or CyHi had just said those names as a way to exaggerate the amount of songs made for the album is unclear.

• Collaboration with Miss Criss

According to Mikkey Halsted, Kanye produced an entire album for him, which helped Mikkey join the Cash Money Records. However, the album was never released due to the label's dislike for Kanye. Some of the songs on the album include "Ghetto Life", "Superstar", "Foolish Game", and "Who Am I?".

• Collaboration with Child Rebel Soldier

In an interview in 2010, Lupe Fiasco revealed that the GOOD Fridays song, "Don't Stop!", was originally created in 2008, back when Child Rebel Soldier were planning on releasing an album. It is rumored that their album would have been titled God Unwilling, though this is unconfirmed. In 2022, Lupe later revealed that he gave all of Child Rebel Soldier's songs to Tyler, The Creator.

• Collaboration with CyHi (2015)

In 2015, CyHi revealed that he and Kanye were planning to release a collaborative album which he compared to a "Dr. Dre and Eminem" type album. However, the album never released.

• Collaboration with Kendrick Lamar

In 2016, Ye revealed that he and Kendrick Lamar recorded 40 songs together. It is rumored that these 40 songs were all freestyles over Madlib-produced beats. The only known song to be met with an official release from these sessions is "No More Parties In LA" on The Life of Pablo.

• Collaboration with Young Thug

In 2016, both Ye and Young Thug had confirmed that like Kendrick Lamar they had both recorded 40 songs together. The only song from these sessions to be met with an official release was "Highlights" on The Life of Pablo.

• Cruel Autumn & Cruel Spring

In an interview with Complex in 2017, CyHi would go on to confirm that Cruel Winter by GOOD Music had been completed in its entirety and was just waiting on clearance from all artists involved, further going on to state there had been enough songs to also release a "Cruel Autumn" and "Cruel Spring". Whether these had actually been planned or CyHi had just said those names as a way to exaggerate the amount of songs made for the album is unclear.

• Collaboration with Bēkon

Sometime during the LOVE EVERYONE era, producer Bēkon, best known for his work on Kendrick Lamar's album, DAMN., sent a ZIP file filled with several beats to Kanye West for a collaborative album. It is unlikely that Ye ever recorded on the beats. The ZIP file is currently lost.

• Collaboration with Bump J and Sly Polaroid

Bump J stated that Kanye was in the process of producing a 7-track album for him and Sly Polaroid and had been finished and intended for release, though it was never released.

• Collaboration with CyHi (2018)

In 2018, CyHi stated that he was working on a 7-track album with all tracks being produced by Ye. The only known song to be created for this album is the song "Model" which was later handed off to Ty Dolla $ign.

• Collaboration with Valee

After hearing Chicago rapper Valee's now-scrapped verse on the song, "I Love It", Ye expressed desire to make a 7-track project with him. It is unknown if the album was ever worked on or if it was just an idea.

• Collaboration with SAINt JHN and Buju Banton

SAINt JHN stated in an interview that Ye wanted to executively produce an album between him, SAINt, and Buju Banton. In September and October 2020, the trio had two studio sessions together for DONDA: WITH CHILD, working on songs such as "24", "Believe What I Say", "Heaven And Earth", and "Stand United". It is likely that the idea for the now-scrapped collaborative album came from these sessions.