James Blake Removes Credit From Kanye's 'Bully' Track
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- James Blake asked for his name to be removed from the production credits of Kanye West's 'Bully' track 'This One Here,' saying his 'original version' of the song, recorded years ago, 'is completely different in spirit' from what was released.
- Blake explained on Vault — a direct-to-fan streaming platform he joined after leaving Universal — that the released version is 'partially there, majorly peppered with other newer vocal takes,' adding 'I just hit a point where [I] don't want to be credited on music where I can't affect the end result.'
- Blake's credit remained on the song on major streaming services at the time of publication, even after the removal request; the request and Blake's post were first reported by Complex.
- Blake had previously told Variety in 2023 that he'd asked for his name to be removed from past songs that 'evolved so far beyond' his contributions, and declined to comment on his friendship with West after the rapper's antisemitic remarks, saying it was 'a no-comment from me… and I say that with sadness.'
- Blake's new album 'Trying Times' — his first since going fully independent — debuted at No. 3 on the U.K. charts earlier this month, as he has taken control of nearly every aspect of his career via partnerships with independent label Good Boy and platforms Vault and B-side ticketing.
Why it matters: Blake is drawing a public line between contribution and credit, tying the decision to his broader break from the traditional music industry after leaving Universal. For Ye, it means a credited collaborator on 'Bully' is publicly disclaiming the result, and the credit dispute may play out on streaming services where the removal hadn't been processed at press time.
