Kanye West reportedly plans to drop his follow-up to 2022’s DONDA 2 in the near future. Two sources tell NBC News the polarizing rapper has been working on new music throughout the summer. One of the sources claims to have been in a studio with West and his second wife, Bianca Censori, when a conversation about the impending music took place. The source reportedly said, “New music is imminent.”
New Kanye West music, of course, has taken a backseat to his numerous controversies over the last couple of years. In October, West made headlines for wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt during a Yeezy fashion show and later claimed Diddy was “controlled by Jewish people” in a text message he posted on social media. He followed up by saying he was going to go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
He was swiftly kicked off Twitter account at the time, then was suspended again in December 2022 for making several anti-Semitic comments and praising Hitler. West’s comments were condemned by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), while adidas ended their longstanding partnership with West. In May, adidas CEO, Bjørn Gulden, announced the company would be selling a portion of the remaining inventory and donating some of the proceeds to social justice organizations. Balenciaga and GAP also cut business ties with West. He was dropped by his talent agency CAA and production company MRC.
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West has had at least one small victory in recent weeks. Last week, he reportedly reached a settlement with Surface Media after the company sued him for not paying roughly $150,000 in rent for a Miami art studio.
“The Plaintiff and the Defendant hereby stipulate that the Plaintiff’s claims in the above-styled action be dismissed with prejudice with the parties to bear their own costs and attorneys’ fees,” Surface Media said in a filing. “The Court shall retain jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the Settlement Agreement, which is not currently filed as a record with the Court.”
Surface Media spent several months trying to track down West to serve him with legal documents. Its lawsuit accused him of bailing on the rent after the Miami art studio underwent a dramatic transformation per his instructions.
“My client pulled off what was essentially an overnight transformation of its art studio into a recording studio for Ye and accompanying artists,” Surface Media’s lawyer Jonathan Smulevich said. “In doing so, no request was too big or too small—Ye asked, and they delivered—and my client incurred significant costs and expenses to deliver. My client is simply asking for the payment they were promised by Ye for their hard work in customizing and renting this unique space to Ye.”
Kanye West’s settlement ended one legal battle, but he still faces several lawsuits. His pending civil cases include disputes with former Donda Academy employees, who sued him for wrongful termination.
