Kanye West apologises… and two days later announces an album: what’s behind the deal with Gamma

A comeback full of doubts.

Kanye West —now known as Ye— has returned to the music scene not only with an apology, but with a contract and a new album ready to go. After years of public controversies, the artist published a full-page apology in The Wall Street Journal, but it soon became clear that his comeback was also tied to a carefully planned commercial strategy.

His next album is titled Bully and is set for release on 20 March 2026 through a deal with the independent music company Gamma. According to several outlets, the contract is worth seven figures and represents a major bet by Gamma on bringing a highly polarising artist back into the mainstream music industry.

‘Bully’: an album with a clear date and context

Bully will be Ye’s twelfth studio album and marks his return to a traditional release cycle after years of delays and experimental projects. The record has been in the works for more than three years, and several early versions have leaked or circulated in different formats. It was originally due to be released on 30 January 2026, but after further delays and the new deal with Gamma, the final release date was set for March 2026.

Rolling Stone and other outlets have noted that the album focuses on themes such as memory, guilt, consequences and faith, and that Bully was completed before the apology appeared in The Wall Street Journal, even though the timing of both events has fuelled intense public debate online.

Gamma backed Ye when others walked away

Gamma is an independent music company founded by industry veterans, including Larry Jackson, who launched the firm in 2023 with backing from investors such as Eldridge Industries and Apple. The company offers services including distribution, promotion and branding for artists.

Before finalising the deal with Ye, Jackson met specifically with Jewish and Black employees at Gamma to explain why he believed the artist was in the process of changing and why he felt the company could work with him, according to people familiar with those conversations quoted by The Wall Street Journal. Despite these meetings, some employees still have reservations about how sincere Ye’s commitment to change really is after years of offensive and inflammatory remarks.

The apology came first… then the plan

Ye’s apology was published as a full-page advert in The Wall Street Journal under the headline “To Those I’ve Hurt”. In it, he denied being a Nazi or an antisemite and apologised to the Jewish and Black communities for years of offensive comments. In the same letter, Ye said that his erratic behaviour was partly due to an undiagnosed brain injury from a car accident more than two decades ago, as well as to recently treated bipolar I disorder.

Organisations such as the Anti-Defamation League have said that while the apology may be a step forward, it does not undo the harm caused by his antisemitic remarks, nor does it replace the need for sustained action to address their impact.

Commentators have also pointed out that the letter appeared just days before the formal announcement of Bully and the Gamma deal, raising questions about whether the apology was also part of a wider commercial strategy designed to manage Ye’s public comeback.

What is really at stake

This comeback is about more than just a new album. It is a test of how today’s entertainment industry works. Despite a history of deeply offensive statements that cost him lucrative deals with brands such as Adidas and Balenciaga, Ye has managed to secure a significant new contract with a company willing to bet on his return.

Ye’s career remains financially attractive to many, even as his reputation remains deeply complicated. The Gamma deal and the release of Bully show how, in the modern entertainment industry, economic value can sometimes outweigh reputational risk.

Kanye West apologises.