Kanye - CMU | the music business explained

More Kanye cancellations: banned from performing in Italy, but Dutch shows to go ahead

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Kanye • 2 min read

More Kanye cancellations: banned from performing in Italy, but Dutch shows to go ahead

Kanye West’s European tour has had another date axed, after officials in Italy blocked his planned concert in the city of Reggio Emilia citing “public order” concerns. However, politicians in the Netherlands have resisted calls to block two shows taking place there this week…

Chris Cooke • 01 Jun 2026

YouTube boss Lyor Cohen says he is “deeply disappointed” by Kanye’s Nazi ranting as both Shopify and talent agent ditch rapper

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Kanye • 2 min read

YouTube boss Lyor Cohen says he is “deeply disappointed” by Kanye’s Nazi ranting as both Shopify and talent agent ditch rapper

Following Kanye West’s latest controversies, including a rant on X and him selling t-shirts featuring a swastika symbol, both Shopify and a talent agent have cut their ties with the rapper. Meanwhile record industry veteran Lyor Cohen has written an open letter urging West to take a different path…

Chris Cooke • 12 Feb 2025

“Antisemitic tirades and conspiracies” a daily occurrence when working for Kanye West, claims latest lawsuit from ex-employee

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Kanye • 2 min read

“Antisemitic tirades and conspiracies” a daily occurrence when working for Kanye West, claims latest lawsuit from ex-employee

Kanye West is accused of spouting “antisemitic tirades and conspiracies” on a daily basis, and of making an employee wait for a meeting while he had sex in an adjacent room, twice, in the latest lawsuit filed against the rapper by an aggrieved former employee…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2024

Kanye West and Snoop Dogg sued over uncleared samples and beats

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Kanye • 2 min read

Kanye West and Snoop Dogg sued over uncleared samples and beats

Both Kanye West and Snoop Dogg are facing new lawsuits over uncleared samples and beats. West is accused of using a sample on two ‘Donda’ tracks after a licence request was rejected. Snoop’s accuser says he did provide the rapper with two instrumentals, but only for use in the studio…

Chris Cooke • 18 Jul 2024

Kanye West and henchman Milo Yiannopoulos hit with accusations alleging racism, fraud and more

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Kanye • 4 min read

Kanye West and henchman Milo Yiannopoulos hit with accusations alleging racism, fraud and more

Earlier this year Kanye West partnered with a team of developers around the world to work on creating his own streaming app. Now some of those developers have gone legal accusing the rapper of discrimination, fraud and failing to safeguard minors on the team from pornographic content…

Chris Cooke • 02 Jul 2024

Second discrimination lawsuit for Kanye West and Donda Academy

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Kanye • 2 min read

Second discrimination lawsuit for Kanye West and Donda Academy

A former security guard at Kanye West’s Donda Academy has sued for discrimination, saying that he was fired for refusing to cut off his dreadlocks. This, he claims, was just one of numerous acts of discrimination against him and other black staff at the school…

Andy Malt • 29 Apr 2024

Kanye praised Hitler, “attempted to destroy” Donda Academy employee and gave “vulgar lashing” in front of kids, says lawsuit

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Kanye • 2 min read

Kanye praised Hitler, “attempted to destroy” Donda Academy employee and gave “vulgar lashing” in front of kids, says lawsuit

Kanye West has been sued by another former employee who says the rapper “treated the black staff considerably worse than white employees”, made antisemitic comments in front of students at his Donda Academy school, and was sometimes violent in the workplace…

Chris Cooke • 03 Apr 2024

Ozzy Osbourne hits out at Kanye over ‘unauthorised’ sample saying rapper “has caused untold heartache to many”

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Ozzy Osbourne • 2 min read

Ozzy Osbourne hits out at Kanye over ‘unauthorised’ sample saying rapper “has caused untold heartache to many”

A Black Sabbath sample has been removed from a track on Kanye West's new album after Ozzy Osbourne hit out when a version with the sample was played at a listening party. Osbourne said he'd refused to license the sample to the "antisemite" rapper.…

Chris Cooke • 12 Feb 2024

New York Times investigation put spotlight on Kanye West's years of misconduct during Adidas partnership

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Kanye • 2 min read

New York Times investigation put spotlight on Kanye West's years of misconduct during Adidas partnership

The New York Times has investigated Kanye West’s long-term partnership with Adidas, claiming that behind the scenes staff had to tolerate offensive and erratic behaviour long before the rapper’s controversial public statements caused the hugely profitable business alliance to be terminated…

Chris Cooke • 30 Oct 2023

Adidas boss on Kanye: "I don’t think he meant what he said"

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Kanye • 2 min read

Adidas boss on Kanye: "I don’t think he meant what he said"

Adidas boss Bjørn Gulden has discussed the collapse of his company’s Yeezy partnership with Kanye West following the rapper’s anti-Semitic statements…

Chris Cooke • 21 Sep 2023

Kanye West’s former lawyers ask to formally quit sample battle via newspaper ad

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Kanye • 2 min read

Kanye West’s former lawyers ask to formally quit sample battle via newspaper ad

The lawyers who were representing Kanye West on a sample lawsuit in relation to ‘Donda 2’ track ‘Flowers’ have confirmed…

Chris Cooke • 18 Jan 2023