The "Donda 2″, Kanye West's controversial album, was suddenly released on major streaming platforms on Tuesday, April 30, only to disappear a few hours later. The reason? Legal threats for copyright infringement and non-payment to producers.
It was initially released exclusively through the Stem Player — a $200 device from Yeezy Tech — but West recently stated his intention to bring the album to Spotify, Tidal, and other mainstream platforms. Indeed, it was released under the name WHERE for a few hours, before threats of lawsuits forced his removal.
According to a post on X (Twitter), manager DeAndre “Free” Maiden contacted West demanding the album be pulled, claiming that he has not been paid for productions that include at least 8 tracks. In a screenshot posted by West himself, Maiden states: “We never consented to the use of our material. He owes us money for three years and continues to steal our work.”
Ye responded publicly, writing, "Free Maiden is trying to charge me $3 million for beats from people I taught them to make beats," adding, "I want to work with Brian and Boogz again. I want to work this out."
The album includes tracks like “Happy” and “Mr. Miyagi” with Future, “Louie Bag” with Jack Harlow, while the truncated version of “530” — also included on Cultures 2 — is present. However, most versions are not noticeably different from those uploaded to Stem Player in 2022.
Its release donda 2 is overshadowed by a long list of provocative actions and statements by West in recent months, including appearances with Nazi symbols, pro-Hitler phrases and attempts to rebrand himself through platforms like Twitch (from which he was banned in 7 minutes). He has provoked outrage with conflicting messages: from statements like “I am a Nazi” to attempts at refutations like “after thinking, I am not a Nazi.”
More recently, he even shared personal stories that he implied explained his behavior, in a new series of extreme posts. Amidst this chaos, he declared that he had reconnected with Bianca Censori, his wife, after a public admission of separation through lyrics.
