Yesterday, Kanye West posted all of his record contracts on Twitter.
Some folks have noticed that the way his Def Jam contract is worded suggested his Big Bro Jay Z sold the masters of Kanye's first six albums to Def Jam in the Roc-A-Fella deal so he could secure his own masters.
Kanye contracts SUMMARY: Apart from the inducement which Kanye had to sign to get his advances. This shows that Jay Z sold the masters to first 6 @kanyewest’s albums just so he could get his own back. He did so knowing Def Jam won’t sell them back to Kanye in future. That’s BEEF! pic.twitter.com/HFYEx0Lv8u
— The Authority (@lavidaNOTA) September 17, 2020
He owns album 7-10 but the most lucrative and most critically acclaimed albums are owned by Roc-A-Fella which is wholly owned by Def Jam... The majors will never sell you your masters because that’s what gives them market share and drives profits and Jay Z knew that. @SizweDhlomo
— The Authority (@lavidaNOTA) September 17, 2020Error loading Tweet. It may have been deleted.
This is why Dame says Jigga ain’t shit...
— The Authority (@lavidaNOTA) September 17, 2020In the end Kanye is mad that even as a billionaire he stands no chance of owning his best work or earning more than 18% of the proceeds from his genius forever. If they were in Jay’s hands he could at least buy them back or negotiated a better deal or at least added a reversion!
— The Authority (@lavidaNOTA) September 17, 2020
A few years back, Kanye got paranoid and suggested his big bro JAY-Z was sending shooters after him. If this reading of the Ye's Def Jam contract is correct, he had reason to be paranoid.