James Blake has asked to have his name removed from the production credits on Kanye West's latest album, Bully, which was released on Friday. The English musician is credited as a co-writer on the closing track 'This One Here', alongside Don Toliver, Quentin Miller and West.
Blake explained his decision on his streaming platform Vault, stating that the final version of the song differs significantly from his original work. 'The way I pitched his vocals and construed the track from his freestyle is partially there, majorly peppered with other newer vocal takes etc.,' he wrote. 'But the spirit of my actual production is mostly absent other than that.'
The 37-year-old added: 'Happy for the fans but 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 and this version isn't what I created with Ye.' He assured fans it was 'not personal,' but that he no longer wants to be credited on music where he cannot affect the final outcome.
Blake and West, 48, have collaborated on several projects since 2014, including a joint project called WAR in 2022, though no music from it has been officially released. Bully, released via YZY and independent label Gamma, is West's first new album since 2024 and features Travis Scott, CeeLo Green, Don Toliver, Peso Pluma, Ty Dolla Sign and Nine Vicious.
The album's rollout has faced controversies, including West initially claiming much of it was made using artificial intelligence, a statement he later retracted. Earlier this year, West apologised for past erratic and hurtful behaviour, including anti-Semitic posts that led to his X account being suspended.
