Kanye West surprised his fans on Tuesday (July 2, 2019) with the release of “Brothers” (find the song here) a single featuring singer/songwriter Charlie Wilson. The song was released in conjunction with the season two premiere of “Tales,” a music-themed BET series produced by Irv Gotti.
There has been some debate over who West is referencing when he raps,
“We should’ve lit cigars, when your baby was born; Should have shouted you out, dedicated a song.”
Some fans view the lyrics as a message to Jay-Z with whom he’s had a very rocky relationship over the past few years. Others think he’s referencing designer Virgil Abloh, who West first met in Chicago in 2002. While the two have had a generally close relationship, they hit some bumps in the road when Abloh’s fashion career began to ascend and he outgrow his role as West’s creative director.
Tilting the scale in Abloh’s favor, West’s line “Flying out to Paris for a hug” appears to be a clear reference to West’s attendance at Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton runway presentation.
At the same time, Gotti pointed out the song is simply the theme for the season two, opening episode of “Tales,” examining a falling out between two brothers. “It touches on father/son relationships, family, love and of course two brothers, and how they have falling outs, but they understand what’s truly important, coming together,” explains Gotti, who goes on to describe West as “a good guy” and not as attached to Donald Trump as he may appear.
Check out Gotti discussing the West song below.
