Kanye West‘s business portfolio has suffered another blow as the company behind the Stem Player used to release Donda 2 has terminated their relationship.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Kano, the tech company behind the Stem Player has already released new versions of the device, which are now open for any artist to upload their music.
“I asked Kanye not to take the path he’s on,” said the company’s co-founder and CEO Alex Klein. “We’ve told him that we’re unable to work together while he’s putting out racial conspiracy theories. There’s no deal in place.”
Ye made waves when he announced that, rather than distributing his 11th studio album through traditional models, Donda 2 would only be made available through the Stem Player, which he promoted as his “own platform.”
The idea was to allow fans to be able to customize tracks with the ability to control drums, vocals, bass, samples and more. But fans likely didn’t expect Donda 2 to only be available through that format — and apparently neither did Apple, which cancelled Ye’s sponsorship deal in response to the February release announcement.
Kano went on to sell 100,000 units of the Donda 2 pre-loaded Stem Player, which sold for $200. To date, Klein reports the device has been used to remix over a billion plays of songs, 90% of which has nothing to do with Ye.
While Ye’s recent anti-Semitic comments were the ultimate factor that led Kano to part ways with the rapper, Klein said that there had been issues since the very start of their relationship.
“Unfortunately, Kanye didn’t want to allow other musical artists onto the platform,” he explained. “This was a disagreement that we had trouble resolving.”
Kanye West responded to Klein’s hesitation about keeping other artists from accessing the platform by offering to buy Kano, which specializes in highly customizable tech products.
Prior to sharing his company’s decision with the LA Times, Alex Klein opened up about his ongoing conversations with Kanye West on various online platforms.
He first revealed on Reddit that Ye, “tried to call me racist when I gently told him that attacking a whole race of people wasn’t good for him or Stem.” Earlier this month, Klein went into more detail during a Discord chat.
“Good engineering is about having correct information and acting upon it,” he wrote. “At the end of the day, as long as what’s flowing through Ye is hatred towards a particular ethnic group … it’s gonna be very hard for us to collaborate creatively.”
Unfortunately, Alex Klein and his company will remain linked to Kanye West in at least one area: Ye and Kano have been named as co-defendants in two copyright infringement lawsuits tied to samples featured on Donda 2.
One claim, filed on behalf of artist Marshall Jefferson, alleges that Ye’s “Flowers” includes an unauthorized sample of the 1986 house music hit “Move Your Body.” The other lawsuit was filed by Phase One Network — which oversees the Boogie Down Productions catalog — over the unlicensed use of “South Bronx” by KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock.
The sample of the Hip Hop classic appears on “Life of the Party,” featuring Andre 3000.
The song more prominently samples The Dramatics’ 1975 song “I Was the Life of the Party,” as well as snippets of Biggie’s “Hypnotize,” Herb & the Spices’ “Cannibal Cutie” and a viral video of DMX comforting his daughter while on an amusement park ride.
Ye’s loss of the deal with Kano is just the latest in corporate blowback from comments made via social media and in interviews on platforms including Piers Morgan Uncensored and Drink Champs. The latter was deemed so inflammatory that REVOLT chose to pull the interview from all platforms within less than 24 hours of its premiere.
Other companies to publicly distance themselves from Kanye West include J.P. Morgan Chase, GAP, adidas, Balenciaga and his talent agency Creative Artists Agency.
With Forbes estimating $1.5 billion of Ye’s net worth coming from the adidas deal alone, the loss of these recent deals cost the Chicago rapper his status as a billionaire. He is now worth an estimated $400 million.
It sounds like Kano was looking to include more white artists over black and that set kanye off. Would set me off too if I’m being told my black race doesn’t matter
Or if you’re an afrocentric butt bitch…
Ye dared to speak the truth.
How far up the rabbit hole are you, clown? Pig ignorant idiot. Kanye is nothing but a lunatic on the rag. And u look up to that??? I feel sorry for your mother.
Okay, you can call him crazy and attack his personal character… but can you dispute his claims? I haven’t seen anyone call him a liar, they just dismiss him as crazy. I do believe Kanye is pretty crazy. But he’s RIGHT. Some of tbe greatest geniuses in world history were mentally messed up, drug addicts, etc…
As long as we don’t look up to you with your ridiculous ridiculous immature comment. Hypocrisy at its finest. Your a…………. fill in the blank
Its not a race, its a religion. And last time I checked, a vast majority of them have whiter skin than me. Oh well, stem player was a stupid idea to begin with. For the same price you can buy an MP3 DJ set at guitar center and you can mix anything. Youtube is loaded with acapellas and beats to grab and mess with if you are tech savy.
It’s actually a race lol
Jews controlling media and such = “racial conspiracy theory”? It’s literally fact. Jewish men created Hollywood, and were very proud of it. How is it conspiracy to point out those running 95% of all the media we consume are headed by jewish executives? Fact, not conspiracy theory.
Thats not the problem. The problem is Ye insuated he thinks all jews should be killed. And if you cant see the problem with that then I dont know what to tell you.
Go on then, provide these so called “facts”. Don’t just say it’s a fact, prove its a fact.
look at any of the ceo’s of major media companies. shiiit look at the owner of stem player. “klein” what religion do you think someone named KLEIN is?
Did he actually say or “insinuate” that? If so, screw him 100%, but I’m pretty sure you made that up.
Lmao, it’s not true that Jewish people are on top of major media and industries, and also presidential cabinets, despite being a small minority? I can’t prove that to you in this comment section. I can’t share links and such here. It’s called common sense. It has been known since these organizations were created. So yes, it is 100% true.
What did Ye say that insuanted all jews should be killed? The defcon 3 comment? Defcon is a measumrnet of militairy preparedness for war that was developed by the DOD. I hardly think what he said translates to “kill jews”. You’re reaching just as the media does. What Kanye clearly meant was he is going to war against those who have destroyed him in less than a week due to comments he made. I mean the fact he last $1 billion in networth in a week should tell you that he’s 100% right. If he said what he said about white people instead of jews, he wouldn’t have lost anything at all.
Go and read the definition of “DEFCON.”
Know what your talking about before you speak.
Aren’t you embarrassed?
Hahaha!
The only reason he’s speaking out now is because Kanye can no longer buy the company. So now he wants to shit on Kanye and lie about all the other artists that are the platform whom nobody ever heard of before Ye. This is classic High School shit
The only reason he’s speaking out now is because Kanye can no longer buy the company. So now he wants to shit on Kanye and lie about all the other artists that are the platform whom nobody ever heard of before Ye. This is classic High School shit
The only reason he’s speaking out now is because Kanye can no longer buy the company. So now he wants to shit on Kanye and lie about all the other artists that are the platform whom nobody ever heard of before Ye. This is classic High School shit
Ya’ll are so hypocritical. If tables were turned there would be protesting in the streets.
People only gonna use this device to make Kanye meme songs now lol
Truth is If it was “conspiracy theory” these companies will not take the actions they took worst of all the crazy criteria they gave Kyrie. Their actions proved to the world something isn’t right and the irony of it was it sure did wake-up lots of people. The time will come when many celebrities will cut off from all the money threads when they realize the truth of our earth 🌎. Sad that what’s coming is inevitable, because Yahweh, 24 elders and 144 chiefs will soon take over. With all the global craze going on, they probably have. Who knows. It’s high time we turn from our evil ways. We can use the word “conspiracy” for just short time before the evidence is obvious. When 10 people see, they say it’s conspiracy. video evidence, they form a name and explanation. When it will reach 1million, we will hear “save the planet, let’s go to Jupiter.”
Truth is If it was “conspiracy theory” these companies will not take the actions they took worst of all the crazy criteria they gave Kyrie. Their actions proved to the world something isn’t right and the irony of it was it sure did wake-up lots of people. The time will come when many celebrities will cut off from all the money threads when they realize the truth of our earth 🌎. Sad that what’s coming is inevitable, because Yahweh, 24 elders and 144 chiefs will soon take over. With all the global craze going on, they probably have. Who knows. It’s high time we turn from our evil ways. We can use the word “conspiracy” for just short time before the evidence is obvious. When 10 people see, they say it’s conspiracy. video evidence, they form a name and explanation. When it will reach 1million, we will hear “save the planet, let’s go to Jupiter.”
Excellent news, the continuing downfall of Clownye The Cuck is quite hilarious
That sh!t was never gonna sell anyway
Are they really going to cancel out Kanye. Seems like this is happening wow
Are they really going to cancel out Kanye. Seems like this is happening wow
It’s completely atavistic and tired , for the Jewish community to leap upon any excuse to flex. Cudgel the gentiles into obedience- and anybody who pretends not to understand both the substance and optics here is part of a real problem with real consequences.
We’re all sick of this shit and too much empathy and sympathy has been laid out on fraud and- here it comes- drum roll……..!!!! SWINDLE!!!
I’m white and without any dog in this arena – BUT I GOT KANYE AND VIRTUALLY ANY BLACK MAN THAT WANTS TO SEE THIS THROUGH TO WHATEVER REGRETTABLE END.
I’m sure there’s a good 5M capable others that feel the same …particularly in the ____.
And I don’t think he threatened explicitly to do anything violent.
But we can take it there if the craven keep demanding it.
The Talmud advocates the murder, rape, and enslavement of all us gentiles REPEATEDLY. Fact. BTW – I’m trying to talk to anyone who objects to me stating that incontrovertible fact.
Like Farra said
…we’re happy to entertain you
Got u black, any and all, 2thehilt here
Boycott kano
Read the Talmud
Take teeth if you here THR phrase “anti-semitic” from an Ashkenazi.
NO MITOHNDRIAL DNA THAT ISNT SCYTHIAN(black sea, south of Crimea).
Israel also sequenced 75% of female ashkenazim. Same fact.
No more pretending to be isleaelites, or even is SLE eastern. Fact like gravity.
Peer reviewed unanimous scientific fact like gravity.
Have PhD in human genetics, Oxford, Harvard, mit, Broad fellow
Founded famous Broad center
Unbelievable but true
Boycott the European fascists wherever they bark, remove virtue signaling from their repertoire when necessary, the cool ones are cool, but the fascists any liars can be entertained
A white gentile who’s happy go out on this one for any nondescript African American, so very far from a national treasure that’s worth more than every skeksy (sp?) Jim Henson was definitely thinking of when he fast dreamed the Dark Crystal
Tok