Kanye West unveils new album, Jay-Z track at listening event

Kanye West barely said a word during his album listening session Thursday night, but the mercurial rapper still had most attendees standing on their feet while hanging on every word of his new project

Kanye West barely said a word during his album listening session Thursday night, but the mercurial rapper still had most attendees standing on their feet while hanging on every word of his new project. West unveiled his 10th studio album, “Donda” in front of a packed crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. His album was named after his mother, Donda West, who died at the age of 58 following plastic surgery complications in 2007. Pulling off the listening session — which was livestreamed on Apple Music — was an impressive feat for West, who sold out the venue after he announced two days ago that the first public listen of his highly-anticipated album would take place. Some of the big names who attended the event were Rick Ross, Khloe Kardashian and his estranged wife Kim Kardashian West, who showed up in a red jumpsuit with their kids. Unlike West’s typical high-energy concerts, he appeared more mellow. He let his music do the talking while most attendees listened in silence and applauded at the end of each track of his album, slated for release Friday, that features gospel themes, hip-hop vibes, his Auto-Tune vocals, a track featuring his friend-mentor Jay-Z and recorded speeches made by his mother.