Details of Kanye West’s contract with EMI stipulates that the rapper can never retire, new documents reveal.
The documents come in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit between Ye and the major record label.
Details published by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Yeezy’s publishing contract with EMI states that he must “remain actively involved in writing, recording and producing Compositions and Major Label Albums, as Your principle occupation.
“At no time during the Term will you seek to retire as a songwriter, recording artist or producer or take an extended hiatus during which you are not actively pursuing Your musical career in the same basic manner as You have pursued such career to date.”
West filed two lawsuits in January and is in the process of suing the label, who control the rights to his entire discography since 2003.
West is also in the process of suing Roc-a-Fella Records, UMG Recordings, Def Jam, and Bravado International Group.
West’s case demands ownership over all the music he made post-2010 be granted to himself, citing a California Labour Code that limits personal service contracts not over seven years, arguing that he has been “laboring” for EMI since 2003.
The same seven-year California Labour Code has been used by several artists in the past, most notably Thirty Seconds To Mars and Olivia Newton-John.
Earlier this year, streaming service Tidal was reportedly placed under criminal investigation for allegedly inflating listener numbers, including releases from West.
