There has been a lot of news surrounding Ye in recent weeks. First, the artist lashed out at sportswear giant adidas for their use of Yeezy Day. He then announced he would be cutting ties with both GAP and Adidas and planned to disenfranchise at the end of the current contracts.
Offloading Catalog Shares
Reports suggest that Ye has been sitting with prospective buyers over the last year as he looks to get the possible deal for his shares. According to estimations by Billboard the artist earns around $13,5 million in publishing royalties each year. However, due to his later releases including 10-24 songwriters per song, and the artists samples. Rumours are that the Ye is looking to cash up his shares for an approximated $175 million.
The Reaction
Adidas haven’t sat back in all this. The sportswear brand sent Ye a list of restrictions regarding the use of Yeezy licences. There have been long standing disagreements between Ye and the brands he has partnered with. The move to disenfranchise from both GAP and adidas could lead to all parties losing mega amounts of income. The artist-cum-designer has made some serious moves over the last couple of weeks, it will be interesting to see where he goes to from here. What we do know for sure, is that Kanye is not new to controversy.
Ye Going It Alone?
“It’s time for me to go it alone,” Ye told Bloomberg. “It’s fine. I made the companies money. The companies made me money. We created ideas that will change apparel forever. Like the round jacket, the foam runner and the slides that have changed the shoe industry. Now it’s time for Ye to make the new industry. No more companies standing in between me and the audience.”
