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Ye is overjoyed about the success of his recent album Bully.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West reveled in his latest achievement during Larry Jackson's recent event in Atlanta. Ye FaceTimed the Gamma founder during a panel discussion on Saturday, July 27, and said his new project's success means more to him than his past No. 1 albums.
"I just wanted to thank y’all so much for getting behind this on this journey," Ye began. "These number ones mean even more than the Graduation’s and the Watch the Throne’s, and all the number ones before because, as you know, about a year into the project, I went into an episode."
"So, this right here is a celebration and a victory, a success story for people who deal with mental health crises, to be able to come out of it and actually have number one records," he continued. "With all the things that were done, with all the things that were said, and for you guys to be so forgiving and so supportive, it just means the world to me.”
The controversial rapper's 12th studio LP arrived back in April, following a series of delays. It contains songs like "Beauty and the Beast," "Father" with Travis Scott, "I Can't Wait" with Lauryn Hill, and more. According to Ye's new label, Gamma, Bully racked up nearly 201,000 album-equivalent units in its first full week and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. All but two tracks from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Father" peaking at No. 21.
Ye's Bully album dropped while he was in recovery following a series of unhinged outbursts he posted online aimed at the Jewish and African American communities as well as estranged celebrity friends like JAY-Z and Beyoncé. Before he shared the project, the Chicago native issued a lengthy apology to those he harmed with his social media antics and rants on right-wing platforms.
"I lost touch with reality," Ye explained in his open letter. "Things got much worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self."
Ye also admitted that he hit rock bottom during a four-month manic episode in 2025. He revealed there were times when he "didn't want to be here anymore." That's when he took his wife, Bianca Censori's, pleas seriously and got the help he needed.