So Help Us God: Kanye West Says Album’s Untitled Now, Addresses Wiz Feud
Kanye West's been an even bigger topic of conversation than usual in the weeks leading up to the release of his seventh studio album: Between his Twitter feud with Wiz Khalifa (and the now-settled offshoot flap with their mutual ex Amber Rose) his constantly-updated list of album collaborators and his upcoming sold-out fashion show/album listening party at Madison Square Garden, it truly is Yeezy season. And today (February 4), Kanye called into radio host Big Boy's morning show on L.A.'s 92.3 to discuss it all.
Big Boy asks the question fans have wondered since Monday (February 1), when his wife Kim Kardashian tweeted a poll asking which prospective Kanye album title is best: Swish, Waves or So Help Me God (the original title, which won by a landslide). Is Kanye changing his album title yet again?
"We don't have a name yet," a cheery-sounding Kanye clarified, saying he wholeheartedly endorsed Kim's crowdsource. He said he "wanted to get people's opinion," because he's realized in his years of fame that "everybody is our family," saying he embraces the "continuing conversation" that comes with fan feedback on social media. This egalitarian attitude may run counter to many people's impression of a man who's referred to himself as a god and his work as the greatest, but perhaps his social media queen spouse has widened his perspective.
In terms of what you should expect from the album, Kanye has three words for you: "Ultra. Light. Beams." It's not just the name of his tentative album closer, it's a ~vibe~. "This is a gospel album with a whole lotta cursing on it," he says, echoing what he told gospel artist and album collaborator Kirk Franklin. "It's a story of this idea of Mary Magdalene becoming Mary." Whether that concept's literal or broadly figurative will reveal itself on February 11.
Kanye also explains how he and Wiz patched things up after their high-profile Twitter spat (you can see the since-deleted exchange here). He says their mutual friend, Chicago poet and G.O.O.D music musician Malik Yusef, brokered a phone call between the two: "We chopped it up. Squashed it."
Listen to the full 10-minute phone interview — in which West also confirms the veracity of Kim and Amber's selfie (did people think it was fake?) and tells us exactly how many pools he has — below.