"PREACHER MAN" is a song by Kanye West that serves as the opening track to his demo studio album, BULLY V1 (2025). The song was met with a release on March 18, 2025 and features vocals from collaborator Young Moose as well as sole production from West similar to the rest of the demo album.
Production[]
The song samples "To You With Love" by The Moments.[1] The track is played 4/4 time in 80 BPM, and it is in the key of Eb Major.
Background[]
The song was presumably created some time in late-August or early-September of 2024 during the VULTURES 2 rework sessions. It's unclear who the main reference writer to the song is, though it has been speculated to have either been Fat Money or Quentin Miller as both of the artists listed had been working with Ye around the time period in which the song would have been created.[2] The song would first be officially previewed at the VULTURES listening event in Haikou, China on September 15th alongside two VULTURES 3-era songs, "A THOUSAND MILES" and "NEW BODY".[3] Ye himself confirmed the song's title and stated it would be on his next album, though wouldn't elaborate it was a solo record until the following listening event where he also previewed "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST".[4]
On September 22nd, Dre Sinatra, a DJ who works for West, posted the live preview of the song on his Instagram, tagging both Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign leading fans to theorize that the song may have been intended for VULTURES 3 at some point, though it is much more likely that he tagged them both due to it both being their own listening party.[5] On September 23, Ye posted a snippet of the song on Instagram with new drums, likely being the initial chop predating the version played in Haikou.[6]
The song was worked on throughout October-January and had appeared as the opening track on every known copy of the album that had been built around the film.[7]
During the live premiere for the Justin LaBoy and Kanye West interview on February 3rd, Kanye would play LaBoy an early version of the song featuring no AI and had been a rough freestyle of the song, before later comparing AI to autotune, basically confirming the song was AI.[8] During the DJ section of the afterparty the song was played three times.
On February 21, 2025, a version of the song was leaked on Instagram by @yeezyxgap, which featured Young Moose reference vocals and better mixing, confirming Young Moose was one of the two reference artists to the song.[9] They also revealed that that version of the song was created in January 2025.[10]
BULLY (Film)[]
On March 18, Ye would randomly decide to release the BULLY short film on March 18, 2025, this song being included in all copies of the film.[11] Ye would later take to X (fka Twitter) to Tweet his reasoning for the release, stating he released it as the project was almost completely AI and he had founded a new disdain towards AI and would be reworking the record.[12] It's possible a new version without AI vocals has been recorded since then, but it cannot be stated for sure as the only song Ye had stated he would be rerecording for specifically is "MELROSE".
Eventually, every link to the film would be taken down and the film would be taken off of YouTube and Apple Music, likely to avoid legal troubles between both Ye and Pomme as shortly before the film's takedown it had been confirmed Pomme had became aware of Ye releasing "HIGHS AND LOWS" with her sample despite her stating she will not be clearing it publicly and was seeking legal action to have it taken down.[13]
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Harry Ray]
And I
Ring that I hold, I-
This ring that I hold, I-
This ring that I hold, I-
Give to you (to you with love)
[Verse 1: Kanye West & Young Moose]
Break in, they ain't let us in (This ring that I hold, I-)
We passed on the settlement (This ring that I hold, I-)
This path, I don't recommend (This ring that I hold, I give to you, to you, and I)
We passed what they expected, man (I walk up to the preacher man)
I go, where they never can (Just to take your lovely hand)
I float, I don't ever land
When it's dark, you don't know where you go
Need a light bearer to lead you home (I walk up to the preacher man)
I go, where they never can (Just to take your lovely hand)
I float, I don't ever land (I give to you with love)
When it's dark, you don't know where you go (I give to you with love)
Need a light bearer to lead you home (And I)
[Chorus: Kanye West]
Light 'em up, beam me up
The only G.O.A.T, the genius one
They switchin' sides, I seen it comin'
The plot twist, a convenient one (And I)
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
Look, nobody finna extort me (This ring that I hold, I)
Even when they record me, I'ma keep it more G (This ring that I hold, I)
Hand me a drink 'fore I get more deep (This ring that I hold, I give to you, to you)
She hate sports unless you watchin' from the floor seats
I hate that God didn't make a couple more me (This ring that I hold, I)
And all my haters in the courts at the court meet (This ring that I hold, I)
They imitate the sound, call it forgery (This ring that I hold, I give to you, to you)
What we doing's is more important, more importantly (And I)
Look where we made it to (I walk up to the preacher man)
Made ways that's unmake-able (Just to take your lovely hand)
Ye willness unbreakable
Broke rules and bent corners in hopes of breaking through (And give to you, I give to you)
Basically, went out my way to make a way for you
Basically, we finna take 'em higher places through it (I walk up to the preacher man)
Way improved, and like a beta, we gon' stay improvin' (Just to take your lovely hand)
This the light that's gon' illuminate the way we movin' (And give to you, I give to you)
Trust in me, we going God mode, the theory's proven (And I)
[Chorus: Kanye West]
Light 'em up, beam me up
The only G.O.A.T., the genius one
They switchin' sides, I seen it comin'
The plot twist, a convenient one (And I)
[Outro: Harry Ray]
I walk up to the preacher man
Just to take your lovely hand
And give to you (To you)
I give to you (To you with love)
And I
I walk up to the preacher man
Just to take your lovely hand
And give to you (To you)
I give to you (To you with love)
And I
And I
I walk up to the preacher man
Just to take your lovely hand
And give to you (To you)
I give to you (To you with love)
I walk up to the preacher man
Just to take your lovely hand
And give to you (To you)
I give to you (To you with love)
And I
References[]
- ↑ https://genius.com/Kanye-west-preacher-man-sample
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/ThroughTheWire/comments/1g92546/fresh_leak_believer_ref_quentin_miller/
- ↑ Moore, Sam (September 16, 2024). "Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign Perplex Fans With Vanessa Carlton 'A Thousand Miles' Remix". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
- ↑ Molloy, Laura (September 29, 2024). "Kanye West announces new album 'Bully' and performs new song 'Beauty and the Beast' at China listening event". Retrieved May 3, 2025.
- ↑ https://x.com/yeunrlsd/status/1837934048720695332
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/7a465a641ab7791069a022447b469d58
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/8119c8dce67fe283569c434304a2f2bc
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szqm7V1Muwc&t=1s
- ↑ https://pillowcase.su/f/7fc070ae3260edea735829191977aa85
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/GoodAssSub/comments/1iuy507/they_claim_that_the_preacher_man_is_from_jan_2025/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkI9kjnJ1U
- ↑ https://x.com/kanyewest/status/1902208914319667445
- ↑ https://x.com/yeunrlsd/status/1903417052905242784
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