Kanye West - CMU | the music business explained

Alice Merton received “relentless” threats from Kanye fans after she refused him permission to sample her music because of his Nazi views

public

Kanye West • 2 min read

Alice Merton received “relentless” threats from Kanye fans after she refused him permission to sample her music because of his Nazi views

Kanye West is facing yet another lawsuit over an uncleared sample. The rapper showcased a track sampling Alice Merton’s ‘Blindside’ before seeking permission. As a result, when she declined permission, stopping the release of West’s track, she received relentless online abuse from his fans…

Chris Cooke • 27 Mar 2025

“This is art, I am like Picasso” screamed Kanye as he sexually assaulted model alleges new lawsuit, naming Universal Music

public

Kanye West • 3 min read

“This is art, I am like Picasso” screamed Kanye as he sexually assaulted model alleges new lawsuit, naming Universal Music

Yet another lawsuit against Kanye West, this time alleging a violent sexual assault against a performer on a music video for Polydor-signed artist La Roux, when Kayne was signed to Def Jam. With those labels both subsidiaries of Universal Music, the major has been named in the lawsuit…

Chris Cooke • 25 Nov 2024

Adidas draws line under Kanye dispute with “no money going either way”

public

Kanye West • 1 min read

Adidas draws line under Kanye dispute with “no money going either way”

A two year legal dispute between Adidas and Kanye West has come to an end. The sportswear brand canceled its incredibly profitable partnership with West in 2022 in response to his anti semitic rants. There has been legal wrangling ever since, but Adidas’s CEO says a settlement has now been reached…

Chris Cooke • 30 Oct 2024

Setlist Podcast: UK music revenues are back to their CD peak (sort of)

public

Setlist • 5 min read

Setlist Podcast: UK music revenues are back to their CD peak (sort of)

Music retail revenues are now higher than their 2001 peak (just don't adjust for inflation), and the brewing legal battle between Kanye West and the Donna Summer estate…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 01 Mar 2024

Donna Summer estate sues Kanye West over “shameless” uncleared sample

public

Donna Summer • 2 min read

Donna Summer estate sues Kanye West over “shameless” uncleared sample

Kanye West has been sued over an uncleared sample on his album with Ty Dolla $ign. The Donna Summer estate says that it declined a request to interpolate ‘I Feel Love’ into a 'Vultures 1' track, concerned about associating Summer with the controversial rapper, but West went ahead and did it anyway…

Chris Cooke • 28 Feb 2024

Kanye West in talks with distribution partners around new album

public

Kanye West • 1 min read

Kanye West in talks with distribution partners around new album

Kanye West is seeking a business partner to distribute his new collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign after pretty much every one of his business partners cut their ties with him last year…

Andy Malt • 16 Oct 2023

Tidal • 2 min read

Tidal denies fiddling the figures, accuses newspaper of “smear campaign”

Tidal has dubbed a newspaper article that accuses the streaming firm of fiddling the figures related to two albums where…

Chris Cooke • 10 May 2018