Kanye West Collaborator DJ Toomp Knew "Donda" Wasn't Finished At Listening Event

BY Erika Marie 5.8K Views
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Kanye West, Donda
He worked with Ye on "Graduation" and says when he heard the lack of drums on the tracks, he knew "Donda" wasn't completed.

We're officially on the countdown until Donda's arrival. Kanye West has been locked in at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as he puts the final touches on his anticipated project, so it will be interesting to hear the differences from his listening party weeks ago. Kanye's friends and collaborators have been helping hype the project including people like Justin Laboy and Consequence, but DJ Toomp was skeptical about Donda's development.

Toomp worked with Ye 15 years ago on the rapper's acclaimed Graduation project and attended the listening event last month. Upon hearing the record, he told BHighTV that it was clear that the album wasn't finished.

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“I'mma keep it one hunnid. Just as a producer, as a music guy, as a guy who really love Hip Hop and Hip Hop is derived from drums, as far as us," said Toomp. "We send signals across a whole ocean with drums. That's our sh*t, the beat. That's the rhythm. And when I heard a lot of the songs that just didn't have drums... I thought it was about to drop and he start talkin'. I'm like, damn, that's it? Is that the song?"

"So, my first thing was like, I hope the album doesn’t sound like this,” he continued. "That sound like that could be dope. If I was in the studio, I'd say 'Hey, Ye, is this sh*t gonna drop anywhere? Cause you build us up and we thinkin' that sh*t finna go crazy and it goes to another song. And that's why I was like, 'Ah, this album must not be finished."

Toomp added that he's witnessed Kanye mix records seven times before releasing and was disappointed that the Donda tracks didn't embrace the "shock value" that some of Kanye's previous records encompass. Check out DJ Toomp's interview below.

 


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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