Ye Further Teases 'Bully' in 'Pablo' Throwback Photo With Mike Dean

Could Mike Dean and Ye be making a reunion on the latter’s upcoming solo album Bully?

Hard to say, but Dean was certainly the focal point of an Instagram update from the artist formerly known as Kanye West early Monday morning. The update in question included a photo of Dean and Ye shaking hands with a smile during a Madison Square Garden listening event for The Life of Pablo back in 2016. Ye tagged Dean in the photo, captioning it, simply, “Bully” with some further hype-boosting eyes emoji.

As of this writing, Dean hadn't commented on or otherwise interacted with the photo in question, screenshot-captured below for posterity.

The Bully rollout dates back to September of last year, though Ye has continued to simultaneously promote his and Ty Dolla Sign’s Vultures albums, including with the release of a “530” video just last week. Monday morning’s Dean-focused tease, meanwhile, isn’t the first time the former frequent Ye collaborator has been referenced in the build-up to the 24-time Grammy winner's first new solo album since 2021’s Donda.

In October, Ye shared a number of throwback photos from across his career, including one with Dean. The photo was also later shared by Dean himself, whose extensive Ye-related credits range from The College Dropout in 2004 through an unfinished Donda sequel in 2022. He has also been credited on Vultures 1 highlight “Back to Me,” though the veracity of that credit has seemingly been questioned by Dean.

Dean has spoken publicly about a potential Bully track previously previewed by Ye, calling the track in question, tentatively titled “Beauty and the Beast,” a “Donda leftover.”

Also last year, Dean was enlisted for two The Weeknd tracks: the Playboi Carti-featuring “Timeless,” and "São Paulo" with Anitta.