With ‘Carnival,’ Ye and Ty Dolla $ign Shouted Down Controversy With a Viral X-Rated Hook

variety.com:

Kanye West has embraced that status. The seemingly chaotic swirl around his life applies to his music-making as well, and thus it’s not surprising that “Carnival,” a ferocious collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, was seemingly a work in progress until the day it was released amid a maelstrom of controversy. “Carnival” began life in Saudi Arabia, where Ty was chipping away at “Vultures,” the first volume of his collaborative album with Ye.

He invited Rich the Kid to jet over, and they recorded two songs. One of them, freestyled over beats by TheLabCook, stood out: a punk-rap hybrid originally titled “Honor Roll.” Ty passed the song on to Ye, who immediately saw its potential.

He rearranged the melody, contributed a verse and invited Carti. Producers Ojivolta, the Legendary Traxster and Digital Nas were brought in to round out the sound — and fans of Italian football club Inter Milan, known as “ultras,” were tapped to chant the chorus.

Ye then called on Playboi Carti to join the party. He, in turn, ushered production duo Ojivolta into the increasingly full fold. “We worked alongside Ye’s team to oversee and execute the logistical aspects of both the promo and the groundbreaking listening events,” SalXCo’s Manny Dion says. “There was so much content around the events that you could not open your phone without hearing the record in some form.” When “Carnival” debuted at a listening event in February, it incorporated a sample of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” which prompted lead singer Ozzy Osbourne to issue a cease and desist.