Aaron Grech September 16th, 2020 - 5:46 PM
Kanye West has continued his dissent against the music industry and has posted his alleged contracts between Island Def Jam and other prominent record companies on Twitter. These tweets come only a day after West criticized the music industry, calling them “modern day slave ships,” while threatening to not release any new music until he is let go from his label. During his tweets he criticized royalty standards, and claimed that “royalty A standard” record deals are a “trap.”
You guys it took me so long to screen grab all my contracts Here they are
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
THIS MOMENT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR GOOD … I FEEL SO HUMBLED AND BLESSED THAT GOD HAS PUT ME IN A STRONG ENOUGH POSITION TO DO THIS … EVERYONE KEEP PRAYING … ITS WORKING … I AM ON MY KNEES THIS MORNING
— 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,” West wrote on Twitter.
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
In one of the alleged contract pages with Island Def Jam, the document states that West (named as the Artist under the contract) is entitled to 50 percent of “the Profits earned in connection with the Album Six Masters and the Album Seven Masters and no other Master Recordings.” Further along, the contract details “a distribution and marketing services fee to be retained by IDJ equal to eighteen percent,” as expenses taken from the net revenue.
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
His criticisms of the industry have also exceeded beyond these contracts. In a video uploaded on Twitter, a person, who is likely West, is shown urinating on a Grammy which was placed in the toilet. In the caption for the video West wrote “Trust me … I WONT STOP.”
Trust me … I WONT STOP pic.twitter.com/RmVkqrSa4F
— ye (@kanyewest) September 16, 2020
Although West’s provocative actions have gotten him some detractors as of recently, producer Hit-Boy took to Instagram and expressed agreement with his criticism of royalty standards. While Hit-Boy stated that he had some personal issues with West he noted that “This tweet is something I can agree with” in reference to West’s criticisms of major label contracts.
