James Blake Requests Removal from Kanye West’s Bully Credits

James Blake has expressed that he no longer seeks partial credit for Kanye West’s recent album, “Bully.”

“The way I pitched his vocals and built the track from his freestyle is only partly present, greatly mixed with other newer vocal [sic] takes,” Blake, 37, shared in a recent post on Vault. “The essence of my actual production is mostly missing, aside from that. My original version reflects a completely different production vibe.”

Blake currently holds a producer credit on West’s track “This One Here,” from the “Bully” LP that released on Friday, March 27.

“I’m happy for the fans, but I’ve requested to be removed from the producer credits for now, as I don’t wish to claim credit for others’ work,” Blake explained. “This version isn’t what I worked on with Ye. It’s not personal!”

He added, “I’ve reached a point where I don’t want to be credited on music where I can’t influence the final product.”

Blake and West, 48, have been friends and collaborators for many years, though their relationship appears to have faded by 2023.

“We haven’t crossed paths for a while. I think it’s probably a no-comment from me,” Blake told Variety in October 2023, seemingly responding to West’s controversial antisemitic comments. “I say that with sadness.”

West faced suspension from Instagram in 2022 after making a series of derogatory and inaccurate statements about Jewish individuals while simultaneously praising dictator Adolf Hitler and Nazism. He issued a public apology in January, just two months prior to the release of “Bully.”

“In early 2025, I experienced a four-month-long manic episode characterized by psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that ruined my life,” West stated in an open letter published by the Wall Street Journal, attributing his actions to his bipolar disorder. “One of the challenging aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disjointed moments — many of which I still can’t remember — that resulted in poor judgment and reckless actions that often feel like an out-of-body experience.”

He continued, “I regret and am deeply ashamed of my actions during that period, and I am dedicated to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. However, it does not excuse my behavior. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

West further apologized to the Black community, stating he “let [them] down.”

“My words as a leader in my community have a global impact and influence. In my manic state, I completely lost sight of that,” he concluded. “As I find my new baseline and center through an effective regimen of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I am gaining much-needed clarity.”