Kanye West’s new album projected on buildings

Kanye West was scheduled to perform on Saturday’s season finale of Saturday Night Live, where the rapper was widely expected to preview material from an upcoming album that may be released on June 18.

A day before that rather conventional media appearance, though, West took to his Twitter feed on Friday evening to announce something more unusual.

“NEW SONG AND VISUAL FROM MY NEW ALBUM BEING PROJECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE GLOBE ON 66 BUILDINGS,” he wrote, directing viewers to his website for locations that included spots in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Paris, London, Sydney and West’s hometown of Chicago.

And, indeed, fans who got themselves to the appointed places at the appointed times were treated to precisely that: a stark black-and-white video for a new song by West, reportedly titled New Slaves, projected on the sides of various buildings.

Due to language, we can’t post the song — which begins, “My mama was raised in the era when clean water was only served to the fairer skin” — but recordings are available (at least for now) on YouTube.

Friday’s happening followed earlier performances by West at the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at an adult swim-sponsored concert at New York’s Roseland Ballroom. Next month he’s to headline the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York.