Kanye West & Jay-Z’s Creative Processes Are Drastically Different, Malik Yusef Reveals

BYCaroline Fisher3.3K Views
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2012 BET Awards - Show
onstage during the 2012 BET Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on July 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
Malik Yusef says he sees Kanye West and Jay-Z as equals, despite their differing approaches to making music.

It's no secret that Jay-Z and Kanye West are some of the most iconic hip-hop artists of their generation. According to one of their frequent collaborators, however, they each have drastically different approaches to making music. During a recent appearance on the TFU Podcast, Malik Yusef detailed their creative processes, noting that he sees them as equal despite the stark contrast.

“Hov works the least amount of hard on his music than anybody else I’ve ever met,” he began. “Like with Kanye, we’ll stay up for 36 hours, go to sleep for four and come back and do another 30. Hov — he just too good. Hov’s ridiculous. I mean, Kanye and Hov for me is [equal]; they just have different approaches.”

Malik Yusef Says Jay-Z Works Faster Than Ye

“Hov be like, ‘Can you get to the studio at 6?’ By 10, we got three songs done," Yusef continued. "Kanye, he’ll have three months and have no songs done. Kanye will take a whole album and be like, ‘We have some good stuff on here. Aight, let’s start the album for real now.’” Perhaps this could explain why it took so long for fans to hear Vultures 1, though this could also have something to do with Ye's apparent retirement plans.

Earlier this week, he told Rich The Kid that he was quitting music for good, adding that he's "not sure what else to do." Of course, fans are skeptical of the announcement, though they're still eager to know what this means for Vultures 2 with Ty Dolla Sign. What do you think of Malik Yusef revealing that while Jay-Z works fast, Kanye West spends days at a time working on his music? Are you surprised that their creative processes are so different? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.
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