It was released independently by the former's YZY brand on February 10, West and Ty Dolla Sign began recording the album with collaborators in Italy in October , then relocated to Saudi Arabia for three months.
It sustained multiple delays and changes to the tracklist before release, following West's struggles to secure a distributor.
The tracks "Everybody" and " New Body " were announced for the album, but could not be included due to clearance issues. The album was initially distributed using the FUGA platform, allegedly in violation of FUGA's service agreement , and a withdrawal was made from streaming services on February 15, However, it was then re-distributed by Label Engine the same day.
In contrast to West's previous two albums, Jesus Is King and Donda , Vultures 1 finds him forgoing religious themes and addressing his preceding controversies, as well as themes of money, relationships, sex, and fame. It also sees him returning to an explicit tracklist, with his previous three albums only featuring tracks with clean or censored lyrics. The cover art features West dressed in all-black with his hockey mask , joined by his partner Bianca Censori.
Music videos were produced for all of the singles, with a new version of "Vultures" produced by Havoc being used for the song's visual. Released somewhat shortly after West's antisemitic comments , Vultures 1 received mixed reviews from music critics , many of whom criticized its lyrics regarding the matter—as well as his other controversies.
