Bully finds Ye digging once again through soul, rock and experimental sounds, building an album heavily shaped by samples and familiar musical references.

There are moments where that approach works beautifully. Hearing pieces of older records transformed through Ye’s production is still part of what makes his music so interesting, and tracks like Vitamin C bring some of the album’s most memorable moments.

But Bully can also feel overly dependent on the music that inspired it. Where some of Ye’s greatest records took recognizable samples and completely reinvented them, here the original material can sometimes do much of the heavy lifting. The production often becomes more interesting than the performances sitting on top of it.

That makes Bully a complicated listen: flashes of the creativity that made Ye’s production legendary mixed with moments that feel unfinished or like they could have been pushed much further.

Not his strongest record — but certainly an interesting piece of the Ye catalogue and one that collectors will want to experience for themselves.

Essential tracks:Preacher Man, Beauty and the Beast, Last Breath, Vitamin C

Rate My Tapes: 5.8/10

For fans of: Ye’s experimental side, sample-heavy production, obscure musical references and collecting every chapter of his discography.

Every pre-owned tape sold by Rate My Tapes is listened to and tested before being listed.