As expected, the streaming release of Donda 2 by the artist formerly known as Kanye West has spurred a fresh round of pay-related disputes. This time around, however, Ye has expressed optimism about resolving such issues, at least when it comes to two producers involved with the 2022 project.
Mere hours after a version of the album showing up under the artist DONDA on Apple Music and Spotify, Ye—who previously seemed to hint at the likelihood of a swift removal from streamers—claimed that he had been contacted about multiple “unauthorized” tracks.
In an update to X, Ye shared a text he allegedly received from DeAndre “Free” Maiden regarding money he’s accused of owing to “Boogz” and “Brian,” presumably producers BoogzDaBeast and Brian “AllDay” Miller.
“Free Maiden tried to charge me 3 million dollars for these beats from people I showed how to make beats to,” Ye wrote, adding in a shrug emoji directed at “managers.”
The alleged text specifically mentioned eight tracks from Donda 2, including “City of God” and “Broken Road.” Boogz and Brian, per the text, “did not and do not consent to the usage of any of our work” by Ye.
“He’s owed us money for almost three years now, has refused to pay, yet keeps stealing our work,” said the text, which also claimed that “lawyers are getting this taken down within the hour.”
Ye later suggested he was interested in making things right. Donda 2, meanwhile, still remains available on Apple Music, Spotify, and elsewhere as of this writing.
“Really wanna work with Brian and Boogz again,” Ye said Wednesday. “Really wanna work this out.”
In 2022, Boogz spoke with Jessica McKinney for Complex about his extensive history with Ye, at one point referring to him as his “teacher” and “sensei.” Boogz also revealed several key lessons he said Ye has imparted to him over the years, as well as detailed the long hours behind the Donda and Donda 2 sessions.
“It’s not a joke,” Boogz told Complex at the time. “It’s not a lie. We were in there for 30 days, and we had meetings every morning. Every morning at 10 o’clock. I think I worked from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. every day.”
Later that same year, Ye was hit with a copyright infringement claim over a sample used on the song “Flowers.” The version of the song that appears on the streaming version of Donda 2 carries a new title, “Keep the Flowers.”
