In a revealing interview on Akademiks’ Off the Record podcast, Lil Durk disclosed his decision to remove Kanye West’s involvement from his highly anticipated album, Almost Healed, despite acknowledging the rap legend’s “genius” contributions.

Durk mentioned that Kanye had a significant role in shaping the album, providing vocals and production for multiple tracks. However, the Chicago artist ultimately opted not to include them.

“He actually worked on my entire album,” Durk explained. “But I didn’t use it… He tinkered with the beats, added vocals to some tracks, and played around with a few records. He did some brilliant work.”

Interestingly, Durk hinted at the possibility of saving the unreleased collaborations with Kanye for a potential deluxe edition of Almost Healed. This will aim at delivering something even more extraordinary and potentially increase his sales.

During the interview, Lil Durk delved into his relationship with Kanye West, shedding light on a slight disagreement that occurred during the making of Donda in 2021.

Durk recalled being invited by Kanye to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to record vocals for the album, only to be taken aback by the presence of Rooga, a rival Chicago rapper featured on the track “Ok Ok.”

The unexpected situation led Durk to express his concern, realizing the potential impact it could have on the album’s rollout. Consequently, he decided not to be part of Donda 2.

Although declining the opportunity to appear on Kanye’s project, Lil Durk collaborated with him on different projects. The two also shared the stage at RollingLoudMiami, where Durk surprised the audience by bringing out Kanye for a performance.

While he will not feature Kanye’s touch on the standard edition, the album boasts an impressive lineup of guest appearances. This include J. Cole, Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, and the late Juice WRLD, among others.

Lil Durk’s album is set to drop this Friday (May 26).