In a recent interview with Billboard magazine, Kanye West said he wanted to "rip apart" the ways in which people in the music industry get paid.
The candid interview saw the rapper describe the music industry as a "broken system that needs to be fixed". He also said he believes the "balance of power" between artists and record labels is "too wide" and that he will "work to re-think the design of the entire way we move in this space."
"You have to adapt. You can’t have old rules for new games. No other business in the world would suggest you don’t adapt to a completely new supply chain and income sources. And yet we are tied to a contract formula for vinyl. We can be nostalgic and respectful of those times but we must look at how we create in this new world, and how we make money in this world.
"How do you think a young artist stays creative when he or she can’t eat? Or he or she feels completely frustrated or confused about the business? How does this help the Artist? Do they care? No, they have other Artists. Artists have one career. Majors have millions. No disrespect -- multimillions. The thought has to flip to the individual."
The 43-year-old said he hoped that ultimately artists would own the copyright to their recordings.
And despite the long-held feud between himself and Taylor Swift, Kanye told Billboard magazine he wanted to help Taylor Swift get her masters back from Scooter Braun, who bought her earlier albums in addition to her former record label Big Machine Label Group.
"All artists need to be free and own their rights," he said. "Taylor Swift deserves that, just like everyone else. As I mentioned before, Scooter Braun is a friend and we’ll be having that discussion."
Remember the pro-Trump speech Kanye gave after performing on SNL:
Soon after the interview was published, Kanye tweeted that he was giving back to all the artists signed to his label, GOOD Music, the 50 percent share he has of their masters.
Amongst others, this decision will affect artists such as John Legend, Pusha T, and Big Sean. Big Sean responded to the gesture, writing: "Thank you! This would help so much."
Artists’ ownership over their songs has long been a contested issue in the music industry. It has led to countless arguments, punch-ups, lawsuits and, now, social media firestorms. However, when Taylor Swift stands at the centre of controversy, it’s likely there’s more than meets the eye.
In a post on Pinterest, Swift called Scooter Braun an “incessant, manipulative bully” following his acquisition of Big Machine Label Group - which owns the rights to her music. Braun is credited with taking Justin Bieber from YouTube sensation to global megastar. The 38-year-old music mogul also counts Demi Lovato and Ty Dolla Sign within his roster of clients.
However, on Sunday, it was announced that Big Machine Label Group, the record label which owns all the master recordings from Swift’s albums, has been bought by Ithaca Holdings LLC - Braun’s company. The argument has escalated to the extent that the biggest names in music are now taking sides and slinging mud. So what did Braun do to Taylor Swift?
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It largely comes down to the feud between Taylor Swift and Kayne West following his line about her in the song Famous. “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex,” he raps. “Why? I made that bitch famous.” While West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, later released a secretly-recorded video call in which Swift agrees to being mentioned in the song, Taylor Swift fans were quick to point out that the word “bitch” wasn’t mentioned.
Swift was also one of the celebrities whose likeness was depicted using waxworks in the music video for the same song. While some saw this as a thought‑provoking, boundary‑pushing piece of art, in her recent post, Swift dubbed this a “revenge porn music video which strips my body naked”. Nonetheless, at the time, the court of public opinion ruled in Kim and Kanye’s favour, with the hashtag #KimExposedTaylorParty trending on social media.
Referring to Braun’s purchase of Big Machine as her “worst case scenario”, Swift adds: “Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”
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However, she is also unhappy with Scott Borchetta - the owner of Big Machine before it was sold to Ithaca Holdings. An independent label, Big Machine’s primary focus was country artists. As a genre‑defying pop sensation, Swift was quite the anomaly among his clients. In fact, Swift’s catalogue drove 80 per cent of Big Machine’s revenues last year, according to Variety.
“For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work,” Swift explains. “Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future.”
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As with many record deals, Taylor effectively signed away the rights to her master recordings (the original studio recordings from which all finished works are creatively and legally derived) to the record label she was signing with. In exchange for studio time, distribution and promotion, intellectual property rights are often handed over indefinitely.
In the impassioned post, the 29‑year‑old wrote: “I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.”
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She also accuses Borchetta of not letting her know about the sale of the label until it was too late. While Borchetta’s response to the post has highlighted some discrepancies (he contends that he texted her to let her know and that her father - a Big Machine shareholder - had been notified), the basis of what Swift claims remains uncontested. The decision had been made without her.
The image which accompanied Swift’s open letter is a 2016 post from Justin Bieber’s Instagram account. Bieber’s post is a screenshot of a video call involving Kanye West, Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber. The caption is “Taylor swift what up”. To the photo, Taylor has added, “This is Scooter Braun, bullying me on social media when I was at my lowest point He’s about to own all the music I’ve ever made”. However, Justin Bieber has responded.
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“First of all i would like to apologize for posting that hurtful instagram post, at the time i thought it was funny but looking back it was distasteful and insensitive,” the pop star explains. “It was my captions” he explains, before adding that “he didnt have anything to do with it and it wasnt even a part of the conversation in all actuality he was the person who told me not to joke like that”.
“Both scooter and i love you,” Bieber states, before somewhat changing tact and adding: “I usually don’t rebuttal things like this but when you try and deface someone i loves character thats crossing a line.”
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Meanwhile, Swift’s allies have also given their two cents. “Telling someone about a deal days before it’s public means the deal was already done & she never had the opportunity to even make a bid to own her own work,” stated Iggy Azalea. “These deals take months to negotiate in long form.”
“He is an evil person who’s [sic] only concern is his wealth and feeding his disgusting ego,” YouTube star Todrick Hall said of Braun to whom he is a former client. “I believe he is homophobic & I know from his own mouth that he is not a Swift fan.”
Halsey added: “She deserves to own the painstaking labor of her heart.” A war of words, the internet is on fire with responses to the situation. In fact, there are so many different allegiances that pop culture journalist Courtney Soliday created this useful graphic.
Scott Borchetta, the former owner of Big Machine, has since responded in a blog post where he explained that he was largely unaware of Swift’s feeling’s towards Braun and that he gave her every opportunity to earn back her masters. However, as Swift explained, this would have been a lengthy process.
In many cases, it comes down to his word against hers. “Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to,” Swift explains. “He knew what he was doing; they both did.”
Sadly, it’s all too common for record labels to hang onto artists’ masters to earn money from potential future use of the music (such as in adverts) and as collateral. This time, the court of public opinion appears to be weighing in Taylor Swift’s favour - for highlighting an exploitative aspect of the music industry most people had never thought about.
In one of his new tracks, 'Carnival', West namedrops singer Taylor Swift - whom he has had several high-profile run-ins with - amid some very x-rated lyrics.
Credit: Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/Getty"Why she say she sucked my d**k? (Ha) Then she say she ain't sucked my d**k (Ha). She gon' take it up the a** (Ha), like a ventriloquist (Ha)," he raps, before adding: "I made six Taylor Swift (Ha), Since I had the Rollie on the wrist (Ha), I'm the new Jesus, bitch (Ha), I turn water to crist (Ha)".
In response to the perceived objectifying lyrics, Swift's legions of fans took to social media to express their outrage and disappointment.
Many accused West of being stuck in the past and displaying an unhealthy obsession with Swift. One fan lamented: "He's 46 and he's still living in 2009," while another questioned:" "Isn't Kanye tired of being problematic? I'm sick of him tbh [to be honest]."
"Keep Taylor's name OUT YOUR MOUTH," another Swiftie tweeted.
Credit: Buda Mendes/TAS23 / GettySpeculation arose that West's inclusion of Swift's name was a calculated move to generate controversy and boost album sales, with some users accusing him of chasing "clout". Despite the attention garnered by the controversial lyrics, some fans joked that the album would still "flop."
This isn't the first time West has referenced Swift in his music. In his 2016 track 'Famous', he sparked controversy with the lyrics, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b***h famous."
The ensuing feud between Swift, West, and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian escalated, resulting in a public fallout and legal battles. To top it off, the rapper would release a video that appeared to show Swift agreeing to have him use her name in the track.
The video was recorded by Kardashian.
In a recent interview with TIME magazine - after being named 'Person of the Year' - Swift reflected on the toll the feud had taken on her, describing it as "a career death". She highlighted the psychological impact of the public scrutiny and manipulation, emphasizing that she was "afraid to get on phone calls" and felt compelled to retreat from public life.
"That took me down psychologically to a place I've never been before," Swift told Time, adding that moved to a foreign country after the incident. "I didn't leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn't trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard."
At that time, she felt the scandal to be the end of her music career, sharing: "Make no mistake - my career was taken away from me."
Despite the ongoing feud, Swift remains resilient, asserting that "trash takes itself out every single time." As fans continue to rally behind her, the contentious relationship between Swift, West, and Kardashian shows no signs of abating.
The feud between Swift and West began in 2009 after the rapper jumped on stage during her speech at the 2009 MTV VMA Awards. Credit: Kevin Mazur / GettyThe longstanding feud traces back to 2009 when a then-19-year-old Swift was thrust into the spotlight at the MTV Video Music Awards, setting the stage for a tumultuous relationship that continues to capture public attention.
As the debate surrounding West's controversial lyrics rages on, fans await Swift's response, eager to see how she will address the latest chapter in their turbulent history.
Kanye West has shared a bizarre video of himself urinating on a Grammy Award during a lengthy Twitter rant about musicians' lack of rights in owning their master recordings.
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The Yeezy rapper continued to slam his current record company Universal Music Group and publisher Sony / ATV Music Publishing yesterday, September 16, after saying earlier this week that he will not be releasing any new music until he is freed from his current contracts.
"I wonder if Universal gonna call me ... I promise I have more ideas ... I will not stop I PROMISE YOU ON GOD," he began. "ALL THE MUSICIANS WILL BE FREE."
West previously declared that his efforts were going to "change the music industry for good":
"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 [sic]."
"We’ve gotten comfortable with not having what we deserve ... they allow us to have a little money from touring get some gold chains some alcohol some girls and fake numbers that feed our egos ... but we don’t own our masters [sic]."
"Everyone please cover me in prayer ... I AM ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PEOPLE ON THE PLANET AND UNIVERSAL WONT TELL ME WHAT MY MASTERS COST BECAUSE THEY KNOW I CAN AFFORD THEM ... BLACK MASTERS MATTER [sic]," he continued.
"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."
He concluded by describing a standard record deal as a "trap" full of "hidden cost" that allows record labels to "make even more money off [artists’] work without even trying".
Kanye West has taken to Instagram to post a bizarre rant in which he comments on how "helpful" he was to Taylor Swift's career.
For some context about the West and Swift feud, the roots stretch back to 2009, when Swift, then just 19 years old, was embroiled in a controversy at the MTV Video Music Awards as the rapper jumped up on stage and stole the spotlight when she was about to begin her speech.
This ignited some bad feelings between the fans of the two musicians, and let's just say they haven't been able to see eye to eye since.
West is often outspoken about his feud with Swift. Credit: Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/Getty
For instance, West's 2016 track 'Famous' ignited a firestorm with the lyrics: "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b***h famous."
This sparked a highly publicized feud between Swift, West, and his former wife Kim Kardashian. The feud escalated into legal battles and public fallout, exacerbated by a leaked video recorded by Kardashian, which purported to show Swift consenting to the use of her name in the track.
In a track another titled 'Carnival', West makes explicit references to Swift, with lyrics that some have deemed derogatory and objectifying.
"Why she say she sucked my d**k? (Ha) Then she say she ain't sucked my d**k (Ha). She gon' take it up the a** (Ha), like a ventriloquist (Ha)," he raps, before adding: "I made six Taylor Swift (Ha), Since I had the Rollie on the wrist (Ha), I'm the new Jesus, bitch (Ha), I turn water to crist (Ha)."
Despite these pretty wild lyrics, West now seems to think that he is the one who is responsible for Swift's meteoric rise into stardom.
The feud between Swift and West began in 2009 after the rapper jumped on stage during her speech at the 2009 MTV VMA Awards. Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty
The rapper recently took to Instagram where he posted a bizarre rant, but one part specifically focuses on Swift.
Part of the post reads: "REMEMBER I WAS ON TAYLOR’S SIDE WHEN SCOOTER BOUGHT HER MASTERS BEHIND HER BACK. SHE AND BEYONCÉ ARE BIG INSPIRATIONS TO ALL MUSICIANS WE ALWAYS SAY HOW BOTH SELL OUT TOURS AND MOVIES."
West continued: "ALSO, I’M SURE I’VE BEEN FAR MORE HELPFUL TO TAYLOR SWIFT’S CAREER THAN HARMFUL. TO ALL TAYLOR SWIFT FANS I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY UUUM IM NOT YOUR FRIEND EITHER THOUGH LOL."
He also touched on the recent rumors that Swift got him kicked out of the Super Bowl, by saying that he just wanted to walk around and enjoy the day with his wife, Bianca Censori.
Swift is yet to respond to these remarks, though it's highly doubtful that she will.
Folks, it's time to admit media bias - I'm firmly Team Kanye Kardashian. Sorry, I just gotta say it. Taylor Swift, however, has just dropped her new album, and it's not much of a surprise that she's taking on the Kimye household. Ever since Kanye stepped upon that fateful stage and grabbed her VMA award, Taylor Swift has built her public image around the infamy of it all. But who is in the wrong really? Well, that's what her lyrics are about, and they trace an entire timetable of activity.
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A new song on the album, titled "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" is believed to be the central site of the beef between Taylor and Kanye. The lyric: "So why'd you have to rain on my parade?" is believed to reference Kanye snatching her VMA award to give props to Beyonce. But the next lines really cement it:
"It was so nice being friends again/There I was giving you a second chance"
At the 2015 VMAs, Kim and Kanye publicly squashed their differences, and acted like friends. Probably just for the publicity, but still. It fits the timetable. However, the next lyrics are the most directly Kanye-oriented of them all.
"But then you stabbed my back while shaking my hand/And therein lies the issue/Friends don't try to trick you/Get you on the phone and mind-twist you".
The 'phone' reference seems to be directly referring to when Kim Kardashian exposed Taylor Swift for lying about approving a Kanye verse. See, for his album The Life of Pablo, Kanye spit the controversial line: "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/cause I made that b*tch famous". After that, for a week at least, the Taylor camp was furious at Kanye. But months later, Kim Kardashian leaked a recorded phone conversation of Kanye and Taylor agreeing that the line was okay. He actually screened it past her for her approval.
So...what is Swift actually complaining about here? She was exposed for being shady, and taking umbrage at a line that she approved. I don't see an argument here.
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The next lines, featuring the lyric: "Here's a toast to my real friends" is a direct reference to two Kanye songs. One, is Real Friends, off The Life of Pablo, and the other is Runaway from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which featured a chorus of: "Here's a toast to the douchebags."
Now, the last part is potentially the worst. Taylor says: "And here's to my momma/Had to listen to all this drama," which may seem innocent on its face, but on deeper inspection, is absurdly cruel. Taylor released her album on November 10th, which is the day that Donda West, Kanye's mother, died. By referencing her own mother in a song dissing Kanye on the day of his mother's death, well...
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To me, Taylor Swift's new edge lord persona seems to be based entirely on her own misreading of situations and refusal to accept any blame for his own actions. But you can't get mad just for being exposed, you have to actually have an argument as to why you were in the right. But what do you think? Will Kanye hit back? Is Taylor destined to defeat him once and for all?
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