Kanye West’s Wyoming Listening Party: A POV from EMCEE Founder Taylor Dall

Kanye did it again. He got the whole music industry talking about him, and this time, it’s because of the release of his 8th album, Ye. Some people love it, others hate it, but one thing that’s for sure is that we’ll be talking about Kanye for a long time to come.

Ye is definitely an album worth talking about, but arguably a bigger talking point than that is the album listening party that took place the night before the project was released. That night in Wyoming proved to be a star studded event. Several illustrious greats stepped onto Kanye’s 300 acres of land–including Chris Rock, Nas, Candace Owens, Dame Dash, and countless others–but most of them seem to be keeping a tight lip when it comes to discussing what went down on that night in Wyoming.

Thankfully, EMCEE’s Founder and CEO Taylor Dall attended Kanye’s party on behalf of our team, and she’s willing to give us the scoop on what she saw in Wyoming in this exclusive tell all interview.

Let’s start off by talking about you for a second. Tell us about yourself, for the readers who don’t know by now. What do you do that got you invited to Wyoming for the listening party?

I’ve basically been working my ass off for years building my name and my companies. I started a music licensing placement company in 2016 called DallRae Music. Malik Yusef, Kanye’s main producer and partner, invited me. He’s someone who I’m working with as a placement partner.

When did you get the invite? How’d you feel leading up to the big day? Nervous?

Malik hit me up literally Wednesday. I had just got back from being in Los Angeles for a week. I was on a 7AM flight the next morning. I was both nervous and excited, and mostly freaking out about what I was going to wear.

You land in Wyoming. What’s the first thing you see? What’s the first thing you think?

All of the G.O.O.D Music team and some of the party guests stayed at a beautiful ranch together on a wildlife sanctuary with views of the Teton Mountain Range. The whole drive there was beautiful. We stayed in log cabins with snow-capped mountains and a green valley out our windows. The funny thing was, I wasn’t thinking. My mind was so clear. I was just very present with where I was and was filled with gratitude.

There were a bunch of famous names at this event. Who are some of the more memorable people you met?

Well, the first people I linked up with when I arrived was Malik, Kim, and Kanye. We all walked into the listening party together. That was pretty wild. After we walked in, people swarmed around us. That’s when I met Chris Rock. He looked over at me and gave me the funniest look like “WELP 🤷🏾‍♂️”. Chris was the host/MC for the evening. He has such great energy. I definitely have a newfound respect for that man. I also met Ty Dolla $ign, Jonah Hill, Big Sean, and got to kick it with the homie 40oz Van. Plus, I got to finally come face to face with people I’ve been in communication with for years, including YesJulz and people from 070 and 1AM.

One of the celebs you tweeted about meeting was Jonah Hill. He told Pitchfork that listening to Ye at the party was like listening to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the middle of Wyoming (not as far as music, but as far as excitement/atmosphere). Agree or disagree?

Honestly, that is a great correlation Jonah made. The event was an incredibly high vibe. Everyone was in great spirits, blissed out, dancing around a huge bonfire on a ranch with horses and mountains surrounding us. It was an indoor/outdoor event. The indoor aspect happened to be a barn. The event was about 50 minutes from where we were staying so I had no idea what to expect before I arrived. I’m just glad Ye and Malik were wearing sweats and convinced me to dress as casual as possible. Going into it, I was thinking dress, heels…the whole nine yards. I ended up going in leggings and a sweatshirt. It was very laid back. The bonfire setting reminded me of my teenage years when all we would do was go camping, drink, and talk around the fire.

What did you think of the album as you were listening at the party? Favorite track, if you have one?

There was so much energy, excitement and commotion that it was hard to take it all in. I didn’t even get to listen to the album in full until the Saturday after the event because my days spent there were consuming. I kept seeing people talking about it online and I was like damn, I need to get some time alone to be able to really listen to this. “Ghost Town” is definitely my favorite song on the album. Shout out to Shake, John Legend and Kid Cudi. Also, the joint with Ty Dolla $ign is fire. He’s one of my favorite artists.

Was the album good enough to make up for all the crazy comments he made last month?

It doesn’t matter how good or whack people think Ye’s albums are or if he makes mistakes or does stupid shit. That’s life. That’s being human. I will always respect Ye. And yes, I love the album.

This one’s the question everybody is DYING to know: Did you meet Kanye? What’s he like in person?

I met Kanye on multiple occasions. He was extremely kind and open to me. Shook my hand at breakfast and wished me a good morning. He was laughing and smiling all weekend. He looked so happy. Kim did too.

What about Kim? How was she reacting to the album? Was she as excited as her husband?

Kim and Kanye were together all weekend. It was rare that you didn’t get one without the other. Of course Kim was excited. She loves her man. She’s a good woman. Ye was changing things on the album until the last minute, literally up until an hour before the party, so that worried her, but it turned out amazing.

You’re now leaving Wyoming. Leaving behind Kanye, and all the celebs you met who stood on the same bit of land you walked on. Looking back at the experience and the memories overall, was it a great one? Gonna miss it?

It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was a game changer, and only the beginning of what’s to come working with these amazing beings in the future. Literally every single person there–maybe 500 people–were extremely high-vibe people. Such sweet spirits.

Is there anything you can take away from this experience that you think would be helpful to cherish going into your life and career going forward?

When I was invited, I thought to myself, “am I ready for this?” Ultimately, it’s what I’ve been preparing for my whole life. For a second, I doubted myself. But then I remembered, if God brought this amazing opportunity into my life, it’s because the power within me attracted this to me. Malik told me that all weekend. He kept saying, “know that your frequency brought you here. Take responsibility for that and own it.” He said something to me this weekend that stood out. Something along the lines of, “Spirit can transform you instantly. Time does not exist when it comes to leveling up. Your mind and perspective is everything, and it’s your frequency that attracts people, places and opportunities to you. It’s the physical and habitual that needs time to adjust to that frequency.” Words of wisdom from the God himself.

*Taylor stood next to Kim Kardashian as KK took this pic of her husband and co.

Where you can find Taylor Dall: Website – Dallrae Music – Twittter – Instagram