British musician James Blake has requested the removal of his name from the production credits of Kanye West’s latest album, Bully, following the record’s long-delayed release on Saturday, per musicradar.com. Blake, who is credited on the closing track “This One Here,” clarified that his decision is based on creative integrity rather than West’s recent history of controversial behaviour.
Writing to fans via the streaming platform Vault, Blake explained that the final version of the song bears little resemblance to his original work. While the track features co-writing contributions from Don Toliver and Quentin Miller, Blake noted that the “spirit” of his production is now largely absent. He remarked that although elements of his vocal pitching remain, the track has been heavily altered with newer takes that he did not oversee.
“I’ve asked to be taken off the producer credits for now as I don’t want to take credit for other people’s work,” Blake stated, adding that the version released “isn’t what I created with Ye.” He emphasised that he has reached a point in his career where he no longer wishes to be credited on music where he cannot influence the final result.
The album arrives following a period of intense scrutiny for West, who issued a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year regarding past anti-semitic remarks. West attributed his previous actions to “disconnected moments” caused by bipolar disorder. Despite the turbulence surrounding the project, Bully features a high-profile list of collaborators, including Travis Scott and CeeLo Green. For Blake, however, the professional detachment remains strictly about the music, coming just weeks after the release of his own seventh studio album, Trying Times.
