Yandhi, at this point, has likely gone through an indeterminable amount of revisions since we first learned of its inaugural recording sessions last year. Still, the revision-heavy creative process of Kanye West—as repeatedly proven in the past—only serves to up the hype surrounding the eventual definitive piece of art.
Recent West collaborator Ronny J stepped in with some Yandhi insight during his recent FaceTime interview with Arshan Jawaid of Kids Take Over, who previously made headlines with a must-watch discussion with engineer and 1st Gen co-founder Anthony Kilhoffer.
"I just always wanted to just be different," J said when asked about the personal importance of linking up with West. "I always wanted to just stand out and be known for me. But inspired? Yeah, I think I was inspired by Kanye, you know, early on. His music, his fashion, for sure. And, like, him going from producer to artist to now just like artist/rockstar, just legendary status."
J was introduced to West by way of his management at the time, who were informed that West wanted him to fly out to Chicago. "So I was like, 'That's crazy, let's go.' And then I ended up going to Chicago and once I got there, he was like, 'Yo, I'm going to Colombia tomorrow, do you wanna go?' and I was like, 'Yeah, definitely.'"
Ultimately, J ended up working on music and even taking art-viewing trips across several different locales with West, including a resort in Uganda.
J noted that West was familiar with his work with the late XXXTentacion. West's tendency toward often off-the-cuff revisions of his work, J added, is part of what makes him who he is.
"That's what makes Kanye Kanye, and to be honest, I'm inspired by that, as well," he said. "That's just his work flow . . . That's just basically what his journey has made him become. And to be honest, he can be that guy because he's worked hard enough to be able to financially support what he wants to do." This inspiration moves him closer to a similar goal, that of creating your own world.
Speaking further on the Yandhi sessions in Africa, J explained just how crucial it was to soak in the nature-inspired creative atmosphere.
"You gotta be really present wherever you're at, even if you don't go to another country, but I think it's best to be present because then you can just come up with new things," he said. "For example, he had different studios set up outside in these little villa things and there was times when we would record vocals and record certain things and we would get the nature sounds in it, as well. You actually gotta be there and be present for that to actually be authentic. You could YouTube some ape sounds or monkey sounds or some bird sounds, but to actually be there on the Nile river? Not everyone gets to do that."
For the full discussion, including J's thoughts on how West and X shared "certain vibes," see the video at the top of this page.
