Hollywood
Kanye West posted threads on Twitter about companies exploiting black artists
Updated : Sep 17, 2020, 11:54 AM IST | Edited by : Shaheen Irani
Rapper Kanye West went on a Twitter spree on Wednesday, complaining about his contracts with music companies and posting a video depicting a man urinating on one of his Grammy awards. The 'Heartless' rapper, who has bipolar disorder, posted pages from 10 of his contracts and accused entertainment companies of exploiting Black artists.
"This is what me Kanye West deal looks like today ... I PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS THAT IT DONT LOOK LIKE THIS TOMORROW," he tweeted after posting the contracts that cover fees and royalties. "All the musicians will be free," he added over a six-hour period on Twitter.
West then posted a video that showed a person urinating on a Grammy Award that was placed in a toilet, with the caption "Trust me... I WON`T STOP." The video racked up more than 13 million views in a few hours.
West, 43, one of the biggest and most controversial names in rap with 21 Grammy awards, said this week he would not put out any more new music "till I`m done with my contract with Sony and Universal."
He also said he wanted to own the master recordings of all his work, called the music industry "modern day slave ships," and added, "I am the new Moses."
I wonder if Universal gonna call me ... I promise I have more ideas ... I will not stop I PROMISE YOU ON GOD
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
ALL THE MUSICIANS WILL BE FREE
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
Trust me ... I WONT STOP pic.twitter.com/RmVkqrSa4F
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
HI GUYS ... TRUST ME WE WILL NOT STOP ... HITBOY FIRST TO STAND UP ... I DIDN’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HIM PRODUCING FOR BEYONCÉ ... I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FACT HE WAS SIGNED TO ME AND I DIDN’T KNOW BUT I KNEW JAY AND BEYONCÉ AND HIT-BOY ... JUST FOR CLARITY
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
90% of the record contracts on the planet are still on a royalty A standard record deal is a trap to NEVER have you recoup, and there’s all these hidden costs like the “distribution fees” many labels put in their contracts to make even more money off our work without even trying.
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
No spokesperson for West could be reached for comment.
Universal Music Group, which owns West`s Def Jam label, did not return a request for comment on Wednesday. Sony Music, which handles his song publishing interests, declined to comment.
Concern has grown in recent months over the mental health of West, who said in 2018 that he suffered from bipolar disorder. The rapper in early July declared he was running for U.S. president in the November election under his self-styled Birthday Party, but has done little campaigning.
His wife Kim Kardashian in July asked for compassion and empathy for West, calling him a "brilliant but complicated person."
Bipolar disorder is a form of mental illness characterized by unusual mood swings between extreme energy and activity and depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It can be treated with a combination of medication and therapy.