YNW Melly’s Manager Reveals How Kanye West Almost Didn’t Get to Hop on “Mixed Personalities”

In 2019, Kanye West teamed with YNW Melly for “Mixed Personalities,” and now the incarcerated rapper’s manager revealed the collab almost didn’t happen.

Kanye West attends the Los Angeles Mission's Annual Thanksgiving event at the Los Angeles Mission
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Image via Getty/David Livingston

Kanye West attends the Los Angeles Mission's Annual Thanksgiving event at the Los Angeles Mission

In 2019, Kanye West teamed up with YNW Melly for “Mixed Personalities,” and now the incarcerated rapper’s manager has revealed the collab almost didn’t happen.

In an interview with DJ Akademiks, as seen in the clip below, manager 100KTrack explained that Ye linked up with Melly for a studio session in Los Angeles. “We playing music, [Melly] played one or two records, he’s bumping his head. Then we play ‘Mixed Personalities’ and he goes crazy,” said 100KTrack of Kanye’s reaction. “He’s like, ‘Bruh! This is me! This is Ye! This is Kanye! This is Yeezy! This is me!’ So me and Melly looking at each other like, ‘Damn! He fucks with it?’ He’s like, ‘Bruh, I wanna jump on this.” 

100KTrack said they didn’t preview the track intending for to get Ye on it, as the artists were simply showing each other unreleased songs. "Melly looked at me and I looked at him. I said, ‘I ain’t gonna lie Ye, you can’t jump on this record,'" he continued. "He’s like, ‘Why? Why?’ I’m like, ‘Cause look bro. Remember, this is his album we’re playing. We already turned in the music. I already got Cole Bennett about to shoot this video. This is one of the main singles that we believe in.’ I’m not tripping." Melly and 100KTrack continued to play some songs for Kanye, but he was adamant about getting on “Mixed Personalities.” 

"[Kanye] said, ‘Nah Track, nah nah. I’m not gonna lie. Whatever I need to do, I’ll get it done,’” recalled 100KTrack. “He’s like, ‘This is really me. I’m feeling a connection to it. Look Track, ain’t no managers, nothing. Take my number.’”

They warned him if he really wanted to get on the song, he’d need to do the video as well. “He’s like, ‘I’ma clear it, I’ma do the video. Whatever I gotta do to make it happen,’” he added. 

Kanye was able to not only make it on the track, but he also appears in the Cole Bennett-directed visual.

Melly was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder just a month after the song was released. He released his debut studio album Melly vs. Melvin later that year. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but is facing the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.

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