Kanye West has just settled his eight month long legal dispute with music publisher EMI earlier this month, according to Billboard. West had filed the suit has a way to get out of his contract with the publisher, who has held the rights to his music since 2003, a year prior to the release of his debut album The College Dropout.
“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Plaintiffs Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc., West Brands, LLC, Kanye West, and Ye World Publishing, Inc. (the ‘Plaintiffs’) and Defendants EMI April Music, Inc. and EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (the ‘Defendants’) (collectively, the ‘Parties’) have reached an agreement in principle to settle the above-captioned action in its entirety,” the document reads. “The Parties expect to draft and finalize a settlement agreement within ninety (90) days.”
West had argued that the contract — which explicitly forbids him from retiring as a songwriter, recording artist or producer — is illegal under California labor codes. The publisher then filed a counter-suit against West for breach of contract, in response to this lawsuit. West had also filed a second lawsuit against Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings, UMG Recordings and Bravado International Group, although further details regarding that lawsuit are still unknown.
While both parties have 90 days to agree upon a settlement, it is unknown how much money West and EMI have agreed to settle on as of press time. West has announced that his upcoming eighth studio album, entitled Jesus Is King, will be released this upcoming Friday, September 27.
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