YZY is an American independent record label founded by Kanye West and focused on hip-hop, R&B, and trap music.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
YZY, formally Yeezy Record Label, LLC, is an American independent record label established by rapper and producer Kanye West in Los Angeles in 2022. The label emerged after West's departure from Def Jam and was conceived as a successor to GOOD Music, the imprint he founded in 2004 after the release of his debut album, The College Dropout. YZY operates primarily in hip-hop, R&B, and trap, and its releases have been distributed through Gamma as well as major digital music services. The label's origins extend back to West's 2020 proposal for YZY SND, also described as Yeezy Sound. That earlier concept combined a record label with a planned streaming service and was associated with a prospective roster that included Abstract Mindstate, Clipse, Cyhi the Prynce, KayCyy, North West, and Tony Williams. Abstract Mindstate ultimately released Dreams Still Inspire through YZY SND in 2021. YZY SND was formally dissolved in November 2022, shortly after the present YZY entity was incorporated on September 26, 2022. YZY's first major commercial cycle centered on ¥$, the collaborative project of West and singer Ty Dolla Sign. The duo issued the single Vultures in 2023 and released Vultures 1 in 2024. Vultures 1 became YZY's first album to reach number one on the United States Billboard 200. Its song Carnival subsequently became the label's first United States Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. Vultures 2 followed in August 2024 after an initially announced plan for an exclusive release through a proposed YZY application was not followed; the album instead appeared across multiple streaming platforms and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The label continued to function as a vehicle for West's later music projects. Releases associated with YZY included the visual album Bully V1 and a re-release of Donda 2 in 2025, followed by additional Bully material and short-form releases. Jasmine Williams was announced as a YZY signing in 2025 after appearing on West's song Lonely Roads. In 2026, West entered into a record agreement with Gamma for Bully, with the finished album released jointly through Gamma and YZY. A deluxe edition followed several months later. YZY's identity is closely tied to West's artist-led approach: the label is used not only for conventional artist releases but also for collaborative albums, visual projects, direct-to-consumer experiments, and music distributed through changing commercial partners. Its catalog and business direction remain strongly dependent on West's creative output and relationships with collaborators. The label is distinct from Yeezy, West's fashion and consumer-products business, and from GOOD Music, which was not formally reported as dissolved even after West stopped releasing music through it.
History
YZY developed from Kanye West's long-running effort to control the infrastructure around his music. West founded GOOD Music in 2004, shortly after the release of The College Dropout. GOOD Music later entered a distribution arrangement with Island Def Jam Music Group in 2011 and issued the compilation album Cruel Summer in 2012. The label remained associated with West's wider creative organization, although its activity and relationships changed over time. Pusha T, who had served as GOOD Music's president for seven years, announced in December 2022 that he was no longer speaking with West and had stepped down from that position. GOOD Music was not formally reported as dissolved, but West had not released music through the imprint since 2021. A direct predecessor to YZY was announced in July 2020 under the name YZY SND, or Yeezy Sound. West described it as both a record label and a streaming-service concept. The proposed roster included established collaborators and developing artists such as Abstract Mindstate, Clipse, Cyhi the Prynce, KayCyy, North West, and Tony Williams. Abstract Mindstate was the only named act to issue a project through the initiative, releasing Dreams Still Inspire in 2021. KayCyy later said in an interview that he had been the first artist signed to the proposed label, although no release by him through YZY SND is identified in the reference material. YZY SND was dissolved on November 9, 2022. The current YZY entity was incorporated in Los Angeles on September 26, 2022. Its creation followed West's departure from Def Jam and represented a new structure for his music activity. The label was positioned as the successor to GOOD Music, although the two names remained distinct. YZY focused on West's own recordings and collaborations, with distribution handled through external partners rather than through a conventional major-label structure. The label's first major commercial project was the ¥$ collaboration between West and Ty Dolla Sign. The duo released Vultures as a lead single in November 2023 and issued Vultures 1 in 2024. The album reached number one on the United States Billboard 200, giving YZY its first chart-topping album. Carnival, a song from the project, later reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the imprint's first number-one single. These results established YZY as a commercially significant outlet despite its independent positioning. Vultures 2 illustrated the label's experimental approach to distribution. Ty Dolla Sign announced in June 2024 that the album would be released exclusively through an unreleased YZY application during a livestream on Kick. When the album arrived in August, it was instead made available through multiple streaming services under YZY. The release debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, extending the commercial run of the ¥$ project while showing the practical difficulty of moving from an announced proprietary platform to a broad streaming release. In 2025, YZY expanded beyond the Vultures cycle. West's visual album Bully V1 and a re-release of Donda 2 were associated with the label. A version of Beauty and the Beast appeared briefly on West's website before being removed. West later issued Preacher Man, Beauty and the Beast, and Damn as a three-track EP, followed by Last Breath and Losing Your Mind. Jasmine Williams was announced as a YZY signing during this period after appearing on Lonely Roads. In 2026, West entered into a record deal with Gamma for Bully. The final version of the album was released through both Gamma and YZY on March 28, followed by a deluxe edition several months later. Gamma subsequently became involved in litigation after websites alleged that the company and its chief executive, Larry Jackson, had manipulated streaming figures and misappropriated funds. The allegations concerned reported sales and streams for Bully; the available reference material describes the lawsuit and allegations but does not establish their merits or final resolution. YZY is therefore best understood as an artist-controlled record label rather than a broad entertainment conglomerate. Its catalog is centered on West, selected collaborators, and projects that combine album releases with visual material, direct web distribution, and platform experimentation. The label remains separate from Yeezy's fashion business and from GOOD Music, while carrying forward West's preference for integrating music, technology, branding, and independent commercial structures.
- 2026
Gamma partnership for Bully
[1]West signs with Gamma for Bully, with the final album released jointly through Gamma and YZY.
- 2025
YZY releases Bully-related material
[1]Bully V1, a Donda 2 re-release, and several subsequent Bully-associated tracks are released through YZY.
- 2024
Vultures 1 tops the Billboard 200
[1]Vultures 1 becomes YZY's first United States Billboard 200 number-one album.
- 2024
Carnival tops the Billboard Hot 100
[1]Carnival becomes YZY's first United States Billboard Hot 100 number-one song.
- 2024
Vultures 2 is released
[1]Vultures 2 is released through multiple streaming services and debuts at number two on the Billboard 200.
- 2023
¥$ launches the Vultures project
[1]West and Ty Dolla Sign form ¥$ and release Vultures as the lead single for their collaborative album series.
- 2022
YZY is incorporated
[1]Yeezy Record Label, LLC is incorporated in Los Angeles on September 26.
- 2021
Dreams Still Inspire is released through YZY SND
[1]Abstract Mindstate releases its sixth studio album through the YZY SND initiative.
- 2020
YZY SND is proposed
[1]West announces plans for a new label and streaming-service concept called YZY SND or Yeezy Sound.
- 2012
Cruel Summer is released
[1]GOOD Music releases its only compilation album, Cruel Summer.
Products and positioning
An artist-led independent hip-hop imprint centered on Kanye West's recordings, collaborations, and experimental digital-release formats.
Studio album · 2024
Vultures 1
The first studio album by ¥$, the collaborative superduo of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign. Released in 2024 through YZY, it became the label's first album to reach number one on the United States Billboard 200 and established the commercial importance of the new imprint.
Studio album · 2024
Vultures 2
The second ¥$ studio album, released in August 2024. Its distribution was initially described as an exclusive release through a planned YZY application, but the album ultimately appeared on multiple streaming services and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.
Studio album · 2026
Bully
A Kanye West studio album released through YZY in partnership with Gamma. Earlier versions and related material circulated under the Bully name, including a visual version and individual tracks, before the final version was issued in 2026 with a later deluxe edition.
Visual album · 2025
Bully V1
An early visual-album version of West's Bully project associated with YZY's 2025 release activity.
Studio album re-release · 2025
Donda 2 re-release
A YZY-associated re-release of Kanye West's eleventh studio album, Donda 2, issued as part of the label's 2025 catalog activity.
Studio album · 2021
Dreams Still Inspire
Abstract Mindstate's sixth studio album and the principal identified release of the earlier YZY SND initiative, the predecessor concept that preceded the current YZY label.
Controversies
2026
Gamma litigation over alleged streaming manipulation
Gamma reportedly filed a lawsuit after websites accused the company and its chief executive, Larry Jackson, of streaming manipulation and embezzlement. The websites alleged that Gamma's reported sales and streaming figures for Bully had been inflated. The available reference material does not state a final ruling or confirm the allegations.
Brand decisions
2026
Gamma record partnership for BullyM&ABackground
West sought an external commercial partner for the final release of Bully.
Action taken
Gamma signed a record deal with West, and the final album was released jointly through Gamma and YZY on March 28.
Aftermath
YZY retained its role as the artist's imprint while Gamma provided a broader release partnership; a deluxe edition was issued several months later.
2024
Shift from planned YZY app exclusivity to broad streaming distributionStrategyBackground
Ty Dolla Sign announced that Vultures 2 would initially be exclusive to an unreleased YZY application.
Action taken
The album was instead released through multiple streaming platforms under YZY.
Aftermath
Vultures 2 debuted at number two on the United States Billboard 200.
2022
Creation of YZY as a successor structure to GOOD MusicStrategyBackground
Following West's departure from Def Jam and the decline of his active relationship with GOOD Music, a new label structure was established.
Action taken
Yeezy Record Label, LLC was incorporated in Los Angeles and began operating under the YZY name.
Aftermath
YZY became the principal label vehicle for West's subsequent music projects, while GOOD Music remained a distinct, not formally dissolved imprint.
2020
Proposed YZY SND label and streaming serviceStrategyBackground
West sought to create a separate music platform combining a record label with a proprietary streaming service.
Action taken
He announced a proposed roster and used YZY SND for at least one identified album release before the initiative was dissolved in 2022.
Aftermath
The concept was superseded by the current YZY record-label entity.
Sources1 sources
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