After laying low on solo releases and featuring on albums from Russ, Thundercat, and others, Ty Dolla recruits an all-star lineup of artists for his latest single, the long-awaited “Ego Death.” The who’s-who of big names on “Ego Death” includes Kanye West, who reproduces his “I Love It” loop on the beat, FKA Twigs, Skrillex, and Serpentwithfeet. Lyrically, the song deals exactly in its titular subject matter, with Ty sharing his rumination on letting go of self-centered concerns — although, in this case, his “ego death” involves being left behind after a bad relationship.
“Off too many drugs, it’s so bad for us,” he says of the toxic romantic encounter. “One too many drinks and you had enough.” However, on the hook, he details his ex’s escape, crooning, “It hurt my ego when you walked away / Gave you my all, that wouldn’t make you stay / Murdered my ego when you walked away.”
Ty and Kanye first teased the song during the Chicago rapper’s long-winded (and ultimately fruitless) rollout for the abandoned Yandhi, debuting it during Coachella in 2019. All the hallmarks of the Yandhi era’s excesses are present in full here, from credited artists only appearing for a few seconds to Kanye’s conspiracy theorizing in his verse. As a time capsule, it’s a fascinating glimpse at a moment in time. As a potential lead single for a new album… let’s just hope Ty’s got some fresher material up his sleeve for the next one.
Listen to “Ego Death” featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs, Skrillex, and Serpentwithfeet above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.