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18th Jan 2016

Kanye West feels ‘it’s his job’ to keep David Bowie’s spirit alive

JOE

Kanye West is reportedly working on a David Bowie tribute album.

The rapper – who led tributes to the late rock legend who died from liver cancer on January 10 – feels as a ‘musical innovator’ it’s his job to keep Bowie’s songs and spirit alive.

According to the Daily Star, ‘Kanye is determined to carry on David’s work as a musical innovator. He says that the torch has been passed to him.’

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/686449257767776256

It would be an ambitious move from Kanye, as he’s due to be releasing his next album ‘Swish’ featuring new track ‘No More Parties in LA’ on February 11 – paving the way for intense promotion and touring.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/689056837077827589

But the 38-year-old star has reportedly been spending hours in the studio working on covers to Bowie’s songs, rapping over the top of hits such as ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Rebel Rebel’.

Meanwhile the late legend has scooped his first US number one album.

The singer’s 27th studio LP, ‘Blackstar’, sold 181,000 copies in its first week of release, knocking Adele’s ’25’ off the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

blackstar

The chart takes into account traditional sales, streaming equivalent albums and track equivalent albums (TEA) and the record – which was released two days before Bowie died – sold 174,000 pure sales. It was the musical icon’s biggest week of sales since electronic tracking of point-of-sale music purchases began in 1991.

In addition, a further nine of Bowie’s previous albums appeared on this week’s Billboard 200 chart, including the ‘Best of Bowie’ greatest hits collection – which originally peaked at number 70 in 2002 – at number four and ‘The Rise and Fall of  Ziggy Stardust.

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