Kanye West Allegedly Afraid Drake Would One-Up Him, Rushes 'Donda' Release; Todd Rundgren Recalls Tiring Collaboration With Rapper
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US rapper Kanye West attends the WSJ Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards at MOMA on November 6, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)

Todd Rundgren, the legendary rocker and producer, has spoken out against his involvement in Kanye West's latest album, 'Donda,' which he described as an "overwhelmingly unpleasant experience."

Rundgren claims that 'Donda' was eventually rushed out, and he offers his explanation as to why. Drake was in charge of the entire process, according to Rundgren. The producer for Cheap Trick said Kanye West was concerned that Drake would one-up him so he rushed up and released the album the weekend before Drake could.

Rundgren realized during the process that West is "simply a dilettante at this point and is a shoe designer." Per ET Online, the producer is best known for songs like "Hello It's Me" and for producing albums by Cheap Trick, XTC, Patti Smith, and Meatloaf's iconic Bat Out of Hell.

Rock legend slams Kanye West

Rundgren claims he met West through a common friend in the music industry, and despite not being a fan of the gospel or "raw" music, he felt working with West on Donda would be a fascinating challenge. He became upset by what he felt was West's eagerness to finish the record fast to gain more clout after several months of back-and-forth discussions.

The legendary rocker blames West's illogical creative approach for the fact that none of the material made the final edit. In the mid-September rankings, Drake substantially outsold West, with 'Certified Lover Boy' beating 'Donda' by hundreds of thousands of sales on the Billboard 200, as per Vulture.

Rundgren would subsequently make light of the album's seemingly unending collaborations by pointing out that he is one of the few musicians who aren't on it. He has three albums' worth of Kanye stems on his computer since he was constantly contacted by the rapper to contribute vocals to the record throughout production.

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Kanye West's 'Donda' album

Todd Rundgren informed the publication that he was first approached by producer 88-Keys, who has worked closely with Kanye for over two decades, for his year-long Donda participation. Despite his laid-back demeanor, the legend emphasized that he is still a producer who does not want to become driftwood in the process.

Despite leaving the project less than a month before its release, the legendary multi-instrumentalist confessed that he has no idea if any of his contributions were used or buried in the final mixes. Donda is West's tenth studio album, and it contains 27 songs as a tribute to his late mother Donda West, who died unexpectedly in 2007.

It includes infamous musician Marilyn Manson, controversial rapper DaBaby, and a plethora of other Hip Hop industry heavyweights, including West's longtime partner and friend Jay-Z. West debuted the album and its variations in three extravagant listening events, two of which took place in Atlanta and the third in Chicago.

Kanye's estranged wife Kim Kardashian, his four children, and Kim's younger sister Khloe were all present at the events. Donda became the hitmaker's eleventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 list after its release on August 29, Daily Mail reported.

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