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Kanye West’s ‘Cruel Winter’ Trailer Isn’t a Trailer for ‘Cruel Winter’

Kanye West Cruel Winter Trailer Fake

Last week we shared (and live-blogged) what seemed to be an official trailer for Kanye West’s wishfully whispered-about Cruel Summer followup, Cruel Winter. As it turns out, while the brief video clip was made by a pro, it did not come from the G.O.O.D. Music camp, as Fuse explains. They spoke to the clip’s director, Austin Christianson, and he broke it down:

“Without getting into many details, I will say that the trailer was independently made and the video is essentially a concept trailer,” he said. “It’s used for pitching an idea and/or concept to a client. With that said, the video was being used for pitching purposes and it’s naturally intended only for the client to see.” He would not confirm whether West is actually a client.

Of course, if West was, he might not be now. Def Jam resolutely denied involvement via Twitter, and Christianson is making a point to distance others from the potential fallout. The footage of a desolate landscape he used came from a film production company called Fenchel and Janisch, who he says “have no involvement.” George H. W. Bush could not be reached for comment.

While the intial YouTube upload has been taken down, it’s since popped up again:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4qtQ4d4vLbI%3Frel%3D0