Kanye West Announces Rap Retirement Despite New Collaborations Releasing

Kanye West is having a change of heart about his rap career and has been texting his closest collaborators that the end may be near!

On Tuesday, Rich The Kid shared a text sent by Ye informing them he’s run out of steam. “I am retiring from professional music … Not sure what else to do,” read the message.

A source close to the situation tells TMZ Hip Hop that Ye feels he’s been exhausting himself by putting so much heart, soul, time, and energy into the music industry. What audiences have seen on TV over the years has been him giving it his all.

Rappers and retirement phases aren’t anything new, but Ye’s revelation surprised everyone. Just a few months ago, his “Vultures 1” album and its “Carnival” single were topping the Billboard Charts!

Rich The Kid and Consequence were equally surprised as both have collaborative tracks releasing this month. RTK is dropping his anticipated “Life’s a Gamble” album on July 19, featuring Ye on the song “Plain Jane.” Meanwhile, Consequence is releasing his latest Ye collaboration, “No Apologies,” to kick off his upcoming album.

Consequence tells TMZ Hip Hop he fully supports Ye’s retirement, acknowledging that Ye’s contribution to hip hop history is unmatched. From “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly” to Beyoncé’s “Party,” they have crates of classic collabs that will last forever.

Ye and Ty Dolla $ign also recently announced a trip to South Korea to stream the “Vultures 2” album.

Laugh now, quit later?

Source: TMZ, Getty