Kanye West's DONDA producer claps back at rumors he quit the "toxic" delayed album
Atlanta, Georgia – Over the weekend, the infamous music producer Mike Dean clapped back at rumors that he quit working on Kanye West's upcoming album, DONDA, due to toxicity.
![After failing to release his upcoming album, DONDA, after its second listening party, fans are starting to wonder if it'll ever be released.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/q/h/qh5qrqzcsj5w1nnalom7m25hkq556zpg.jpg)
As the release date of Kanye West's upcoming album, DONDA, remains unknown, rumors began to swirl that its producer, Mike Dean, had abandoned the project.
On Saturday, Dean replied to a tweet by Ethan J. Castle that claimed the album's creation was "toxic. That's it."
The famed producer's three-word response created a whirlwind of rumors regarding whether Dean was stepping away from the project.
After responding to Castle's tweet, Dean posted another cryptic, since-deleted tweet simply saying, "f*** this" in all caps, further aggravating the rumor mill regarding his involvement with West's latest work.
One Twitter user responded, "Pls [sic] man I hope the album isn’t scrapped", while another added, "Y’all scrapped the album didn’t y’all".
Without directly replying to any tweet coming his direction, Dean took a stand to clear the murky waters he helped create, posting on his Twitter, "I haven't quit anything. The album continues. Lol. People read too much into tweets."
Given the fact that the album's release date has been set and missed – twice – fans are rightfully getting increasingly impatient with the last-minute pivots and lack of information.
Some have even speculated that the album, which was originally supposed to drop on July 23, isn't even finished, thanks to West's perfectionist ways.
One Twitter user wrote, "Donda dont [sic] even exist it's a social experiment".
iTunes claims the album has a new release date
![Kanye West's highly anticipated album, DONDA, has a new expected release date, according to iTunes.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/2/u/2up9uupytbp87238682vvuvkp81ggzzk.jpg)
Despite all the noise on social media regarding the album, its legitimacy, and its impending release, many fans and various "watchdog" accounts for West have come to his and Dean's defense – citing the creative process isn't always an easy one.
A fan account on Twitter that's fittingly named "Did DONDA Drop Today?" responded to the rumors about Dean's involvement on the project, coming to the legendary producer's defense.
On Saturday night, the account posted a tweet that read, "I could see why Mike would be upset. Having two release dates cancelled, making him live in a stadium with sleepless nights and probably arguing whether or not the album is finished, plus we’re not making it any better with us bombarding him and the rest of the team every five mins [sic]."
The rapper himself has yet to comment on just about anything, let alone the two stadium listening release parties that both ended without DONDA being dropped as intended.
Although Dean might've cleared the air about his continued work on DONDA, fans are still champing at the bit for any kind of update about the album.
Those in West's circle have also kept tight-lipped, although West's album now has a new expected release date on iTunes.
According to the platform, DONDA is now cited to drop on Sunday, August 22.
The album appears to have 24 songs – though none have been officially titled on iTunes – and its artwork is currently non-existent.
Will Yeezy drop the album on Sunday, or is it just another marketing ploy by the king of delayed releases?
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot / Instagram / kimkardashian