Man, what a rollercoaster of emotions this morning. After JAY-Z and TIDAL announced an offer for non-subscribers to be able to download 4:44 for free, we’ve now learned that the rift between Kanye West and “big-brother” JAY-Z has shifted even further apart.
Most of the drama can be traced back to Kanye wanting demanding Apple to purchase TIDAL in a series of now deleted Tweets. This was of course, in response to rumors that Apple Music was in talks to purchase the competitive streaming platform, which has since been debunked by Jimmy Iovine.
Later that year, Kanye went on a somewhat unhinged rant during a recent stop during his Saint Pablo tour last year, where he unloaded a 15-minute vitriolic attack against radio, KiD CuDi, Q-Tip, Mark Zuckerberg and most surprising of all, Jay and Beyoncé.
Jay eventually touched on this topic on the opening track of 4:44, where he rapped “But you got hurt because you did cool by ‘Ye / You gave him 20 million without blinkin’ / He gave you 20 minutes on stage, fuck was he thinkin’?”
Now, our favorite Hip-Hop journalists over at TMZ are reporting that Kanye has decided to split ties with TIDAL, quoting the reason is “over a money dispute and Tidal has threatened to sue him.” $3M to be exact.
One of TMZ’s sources reports that “a month ago Kanye’s lawyer sent a letter to Tidal, saying the company was in breach and the contract was terminated.” Lawyers for both parties tried their best to resolve the matter, and that ‘Ye’s “beef” with the streaming giant is “two-fold”: “The Life of Pablo album resulted in 1 1/2 million new subscribers to TIDAL, for which he was supposed to get a bonus but the company hasn’t paid,” and Kanye claims they also “reneged on reimbursing him for [sic] music video.”
Their source also explains Kanye is willing to to let bygones be bygones, “but if Tidal sues him, he’ll sue them right back.”
It’s important to note that this entire ordeal “predates” the release of 4:44 and Jay’s quick jab at his younger brother.
We’ll see how this all unfolds in the future. In the meantime, as DJBooth states, don’t hold your breath for a Watch the Throne sequel. *insert sad emoji face*
