The Life of Pablo was many things, but a CD was not one of them. Kanye West’s latest album is only (legally) available via the streaming service Tidal, and the rapper-cum-designer apparently has no plans to make his next release a $13 Target exclusive. West clarified his stance on the dying format on Twitter earlier today. “Uuuuum… hi everybody!” he announced in his most upbeat funeral voice before sounding the CDs death knell. “The Yeezus album packaging was an open casket to CDs r.i.p,” he revealed.
I was thinking about not making CDs ever again… Only streaming
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 7, 2016
the Yeezus album packaging was an open casket to CDs r.i.p
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 7, 2016
uuuuuuum, so there it is… No more CDs from me
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 7, 2016
This isn’t exactly a shocking move from the pioneering multi-hyphenate. In February he tweeted that T.L.O.P. would “never be for sale,” which presumably applies to anything that can be displayed on a bookshelf. Though while sales of CDs were down 31% in the United States last year, not all dying formats are, well, dying. The vinyl revival has been well documented, and even cassette tapes are seeing a resurgence in rap circles. At least Ye’s keeping album art alive.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Photography Fabien Montique