Kanye Replaced Jay-Z’s Verse On ‘Donda’ With DaBaby And Fans Aren’t Happy About It

Kanye West’s third Donda listening at Chicago’s Soldier Field is underway, and one of the biggest changes he’s made to the project so far was evident right off the bat — and many fans aren’t happy about it. One of the standout tracks at Kanye’s first listening came toward the end, revealing that he had, at last, reconciled with Jay-Z, who contributed a verse addressing Ye’s oddball political antics over the past few years. However, this time, he opened with the same song, with one major change: Jay-Z’s verse had been replaced with one by DaBaby.

The reason for the change is currently unknown and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. The fan reaction, though, was obvious and immediate. Putting aside the quality of the song for just a moment, the timing — coming as DaBaby has been subject to widespread backlash over his homophobic comments during Rolling Loud — is questionable and likely intentional on Kanye’s part. After all, Kanye did spend the better part of the last four years trolling people with a Make America Great Again ball cap, even as the man who coined the catchphrase was doing everything in his power to do the opposite.

Fans criticized the switch, calling it a downgrade. Meanwhile, the listening has continued with further attention-baiting decisions, such as inviting Marilyn Manson — who is currently under investigation for domestic abuse — to hang out with him on the steps of the reconstructed replica of his childhood home as he plays an album named for his mother. Meanwhile, that album’s release date has once again changed, now showing September 5. See more responses to the change below.