Kanye West is facing a new lawsuit from musician Chase Taylor over the production of his 2019 opera Nebuchadnezzar. Taylor alleges that he was locked inside a Wyoming high school music room and pressured to help complete the production within four days. The complaint also raises allegations involving working conditions, unfulfilled compensation promises and unauthorized use of compositions in later releases. The claims have not been established by a court.
Kanye West, who now performs under the name Ye, is facing another legal dispute connected to his 2019 opera Nebuchadnezzar. Musician Chase Taylor filed a federal lawsuit in North Carolina on November 11, 2026, alleging that he was subjected to coercive working conditions while helping prepare the production for its performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
According to the 45-page complaint, Taylor was recruited to serve as a lead performer and soloist. He traveled from North Carolina to Wyoming expecting to rehearse an opera that had already been written. Instead, he claims, he discovered that substantial portions of the music remained unfinished and that he would have to take on responsibilities far beyond his anticipated performance role.
Taylor alleges that he was brought to Cody High School and directed into its band room, where the doors were locked. He claims the defendants instructed him to continue working until the opera was completed. The filing attributes responsibility to West and others involved in the production, but it does not establish that West personally locked the musician inside the room.
The deadline described in the complaint was particularly demanding. Taylor says he was expected to compose much of the unfinished material and make the production ready for performance in four days. He argues that these duties differed significantly from the work he had agreed to undertake before traveling to Wyoming, leaving him with little opportunity to negotiate different terms.
His allegations also concern other musicians involved in rehearsals. According to Taylor, performers had to sit or sleep on the floor of the crowded room when they needed breaks. He further claims that food supplies were inadequate for more than 150 people taking part in what he describes as a hurried and disorganized production.
Taylor says he raised objections through a producer, asking for the room to be unlocked and for the musicians to receive adequate food, water and rest periods. The lawsuit alleges that these requests were ignored. Those descriptions are allegations presented by the plaintiff and have not been independently established through a judicial finding.
The musician also claims he was promised substantial compensation, producer credit and future professional opportunities. According to his account, these assurances encouraged him to continue contributing to the project despite his concerns. He alleges that the promised compensation and recognition did not materialize, forming part of his argument that he was induced to provide services under misleading circumstances.
Another part of the lawsuit focuses on how the productions were represented financially. Taylor says that Nebuchadnezzar and a second opera, Mary, were described to him as religious, charitable undertakings rather than commercial ventures. He alleges that this characterization influenced his willingness to accept reduced rates for his professional services.
The complaint further claims that tickets were sold and that West’s associated companies benefited financially from the performances. Taylor argues that the alleged difference between the promised charitable purpose and the actual business arrangements amounted to deceptive conduct. No court has determined whether the representations he describes were made or whether they were legally misleading.
The dispute extends beyond the original performances. Taylor alleges that compositions and arrangements he created were subsequently incorporated into commercially released music without his authorization or appropriate compensation. Among the recordings identified in the filing are Travis Scott’s “Telekinesis,” which credits Ye as a co-writer, and several tracks from the album Vultures 2.
He is seeking a declaration recognizing his ownership of relevant copyrights, a share of profits allegedly generated through their unauthorized use and monetary damages. His claims include alleged fraud, false imprisonment and unfair business practices. Those requests describe the remedies he wants the court to consider, rather than any conclusion that copyright infringement or other misconduct has occurred.
The new filing follows a separate lawsuit brought by musician Willie Alexander, who also worked on Nebuchadnezzar. Alexander claims he arrived in Wyoming expecting to participate in a prepared production but found that substantial composition and arrangement work still needed to be completed. His complaint contains allegations of misrepresentation and professional services obtained through promises he says were misleading.
Alexander’s case remains pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court. A mandatory settlement conference is scheduled for January 12, 2027. Although the accounts share certain similarities, the proceedings involve different plaintiffs and separate legal claims. Evidence presented in one case cannot automatically be treated as establishing the allegations raised in the other.
A third dispute involving the opera resulted in a previously approved settlement. West agreed to pay $1.35 million to resolve a class action brought on behalf of hundreds of performers and workers involved in the 2019 production. A court granted final approval in July 2025, and records indicate that more than 600 class members subsequently received settlement checks.
That settlement concerned different claims and does not prove Taylor’s new allegations. The latest lawsuit was filed after what Taylor describes as a 2020 agreement suspending legal deadlines while the parties considered their positions. When the new complaint was reported, attempts to obtain comment from West’s legal team or representatives had not produced a response.
The case now places Taylor’s account of the rehearsals, the financial arrangements and the disputed compositions before a federal court. He is asking for compensation and recognition of rights he says arise from his work on Nebuchadnezzar. Whether those claims can be substantiated remains unresolved, and no judgment on their merits has been reported.
