Kanye West previews new album, talks for 45 minutes at LA summit

Kanye West was a surprise speaker at a music summit in California on Wednesday. Billboard reports that he made an unscheduled appearance, performing songs a-capella, discussing his “responsibility to innovate” and previewing his forthcoming untitled album with a track that features Rihanna. The album preview follows two listening parties in the past six months - one of them with Seth Rogen in a limo, true Kanye style.

The event appearance from Kanye followed Def Jam CEO Steve Bartels’ presentation, with Bartels suddenly announcing the rapper’s attendance. “Kanye walked out with his laptop to a stunned room and picked up the mic”, says Billboard. “Then, noting the size of the room, put it down and asked if everyone could hear him and proceeded to speak for around 45 minutes without a mic.”

West also chatted about his previous album’s conceptions and discussed his collaboration with Paul McCartney on recent track ’Only One’, before performing a-cappella.