Kanye West has shared his current favorite rappers, and his choices weren’t what many fans were expecting.
The controversial rap legend revealed his picks during an appearance on Justin Laboy’s The Download podcast, where he also discussed his bitter feud with Drake, threw more shots at J. Cole and explained why Lil Durk “broke [his] heart.”
“It changes, it switches,” Ye said before Laboy mentioned that Kanye recently told him 21 Savage was his favorite rapper right now.
“Also Kodak [Black],” he continued before pausing to think and eventually answering: “There’s this new rapper out of Baltimore named [Young] Moose who we’re working with.”
West then added: “But I told y’all I don’t even listen to music. I’m too busy getting money! I really, really, really am too busy getting money to listen to too much music.”
Ye names a few of his favorite rappers currently –
21 Savage, Kodak Black & young moose pic.twitter.com/HjqvcOdRE6
— RH (@RihYe_) April 22, 2024
Young Moose a regional sensation in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland who has been making music for almost a decade. His most popular song, “Tru Bill,” has almost four million views on YouTube.
However, Moose’s career has also been plagued by drama. In 2022, the rapper reached a $300,000 settlement with the city of Baltimore after he accused several police officers of illegally obtaining arrest warrants, planting crack cocaine on him during a 2012 search and repeatedly harassing him.
Moose was arrested two years later for allegedly fleeing a traffic stop and assaulting a sheriff’s deputy.
Kanye naming Moose as one of his current favorite rappers caught many people by surprise on social media, with one user writing: “Kanye shouting out Young Moose is insane! This should put a battery in every Baltimore artists’ back. You never know who’s watching/listening.”
Another said: “Moose getting a shout out from Kanye was the most random shit ever.”
Moose himself also reacted to the praise, writing on Instagram: “This Sh¥t Bigger Than Lyfe ! [battery emoji] Words From ¥esus Himself @ye [goat emoji] #Blessed @justinlaboy.”
Young Moose, 21 Savage and Kodak Black aren’t the only artists in Yeezy’srotation right now. Back in January, the Chicago native named 4Batz as his current favorite artist.
Ye was also seen on FaceTime with the ski mask-clad singer, who is best known for his viral hit “act ii: date @ 8.”
But it’s Kanye’s bitter rival Drake who won the race for 4Batz’s signature, signing him to OVO Sound in March. The label will release the Dallas native’s debut EP U Made Me a Star on May 3.
