Kanye West Appears To Shade Ex-Girlfriend Irina Shayk On 'DONDA' Album In Apparent Comparison To Estranged Wife Kim Kardashian: 'You'd Never Live Up To My Ex'
Aug. 29 2021, Published 1:38 p.m. ET
Kanye West finally dropped his long-awaited 10th studio album, DONDA, and the hidden messages scattered throughout the 26 tracks could be described as eyebrow-raising, to say the least.
On Hurricane, Ye raps, "Here I go, actin' too rich, here I go, with a new chick" – an apparent reference to his very recent ex-girlfriend, supermodel Irina Shayk.
Actor Bradley Cooper's baby mama was West's only public relationship after his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, filed for divorce in February.
West and Shayk reportedly started dating sometime between March and May, shortly after the rapper was reported to be worth $6.6 billion.
Their first public sighting was in early June in Provence, France, for Ye's 44th birthday.
They were spotted smiling and walking around a luxury boutique hotel, looking very much like a couple. In addition to their alone time, the duo also reportedly hung out with a few friends.
However, Kanye and Irina reportedly started spending less time together in July, with sources saying the supermodel was the one who started to pull away.
By mid-August, insiders said they had officially broken up.
Following his split from the runway vixen, West was spotted wearing his wedding ring. He then reunited with Kardashian for a seemingly romantic lunch at celebrity hotspot Nobu in Malibu, California.
Additionally, on his song, New Again, he raps, "'Cause you know you'd never live up to my ex, though" – an apparent message to Irina and reference to Kim.
The cryptic lyric is within the context of Kanye hitting up a new woman. It's important to note that he mentions Kim – including by name – various times throughout the album.
Plus, just days ago at his third listening party for DONDA, Kim showed up in a Balenciaga wedding dress and walked "down the aisle" to where her estranged husband – who had just lit himself on fire – was standing.
The co-parents left the event holding hands, as eyewitness video footage even showed Ye whispering to her, "You look pretty."
Despite West and Kardashian's hand-holding moment, her bridal transformation, their seemingly romantic lunch and his wedding ring wearing, the duo's divorce is still reportedly full-steam ahead.
Insiders familiar with the situation even told RadarOnline.com on Friday that Kim was totally blindsided by Kanye's decision to feature embattled musicians Marilyn Manson and DaBaby in Thursday's show, saying, "Kim was unaware of the details of the event."
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Manson – real name Brian Warner – has been accused of sexual abuse and domestic violence by more than 15 women, including actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Esmé Bianco.
As for DaBaby, the rapper lost fans, followers and business deals after making and then doubling down on disparaging and untrue comments about the LGBTQIA+ community, those who live with HIV/AIDS and women during his set at the recent Rolling Loud music festival in Miami, Florida.
