AllHipHop

Kanye West Responds To Reports His Publishing Catalog Is Being Put Up For Sale  

Kanye West
By: London JennnCategory: News

Kanye West stated his publishing catalog was being shopped behind his back for a rumored $175 million before clearing up the claims.

According to a recent report, Kanye West and his team have been secretly meeting with prospective buyers for almost a year to discuss potentially selling his publishing catalog. 

The report from Billboard quoted sources who said, “Over the past 10 months, representatives for West have met selectively with prospective buyers to explore what kind of valuation his song catalog could fetch.” 

While Ye’s share is estimated to be around $5 million annually, Billboard claims he could be seeking as much as 35 times gross profit. If reports are accurate, a 35 times multiple suggests a $175 million valuation. Even the highest-profile deals rarely reach such high multiples.  

There may also be other barriers to any prospective deal for several reasons. Billboard notes many of Ye’s songs are still hits that are likely to “decay” over time. This means it’s unclear how well these hits will do in the future.  

Additionally, some of Kanye’s splits are in dispute, and it’s unclear what his share will be once resolved. Furthermore, some potential buyers may be put off by the rapper’s unpredictable nature.  

Kanye West Addresses The Rumors

However, Kanye West took to his Instagram stories on Tuesday (Sept. 20) to address the claims. First, he accused his team of shopping his publishing behind his back before returning to clarify the situation. 

“Just like Taylor Swift. My publishing is being put up for sale without my knowledge. Not for sale,” Kanye penned on top of a black background. 

The “Eazy” hitmaker then returned with a screenshot of a text conversation between him and an unknown recipient. This exchange appears to suggest the rumors are untrue.  

“Can you ask Gee who is selling my publishing?” Kanye West asked. The recipient replied, “From Gee. Fake News. Of course, every publisher wants to pitch their hardest to buy. Smh.” Check out Ye’s posts below.