Ye (Kanye West) and YoungBoy Never Broke Again have released a new single titled “Alive.” The track, first shared on Ye’s Instagram on May 21, 2025, features heavy distortion, aggressive lyrics, and no traditional drums. It later appeared on Apple Music & Spotify.
Ye opens the track with bold claims about people stealing his style. YoungBoy follows with a loud, intense verse filled with threats and confidence. The song uses a sample originally featured in Playboi Carti’s track “Crank,” from his album Music.
Carti quickly responded by posting his own version of “Alive,” saying “DIS MY SONG LIL BRA @ye” in a now-deleted message. He also dropped a full music video, making it clear he felt Ye used the sample without permission.
Carti has been in conflict with Ye recently, especially after being left off Ye’s projects while others, like Kendrick Lamar, were featured multiple times.
“Alive” is the latest in a series of bold and controversial releases from Ye. It comes after his track “Heil Hitler” was taken down for offensive content, and as he teases a new song, “Cousins,” from his upcoming album Cuck.
This clash over “Alive” highlights growing tension between some of hip-hop’s biggest names and raises questions about who truly owns the creative rights to the music.