‘He keeps stealing our work’ Kanye West’s ‘Donda 2’ streaming debut derailed as producers allege unpaid work

Kanye West‘s much-awaited release of his 2022 album, Donda 2, on major streaming platforms came to a sudden and controversial halt. The album was quickly taken down just hours after it appeared on Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube Music on April 30.

This followed claims from producers who worked on the album that they had not been paid, leading to legal threats. The album was first released only on West’s own Stem Player device, a $200 gadget sold by his company, Yeezy Tech, per Standard. This limited release meant many fans couldn’t access the music.

As reported by Billboard, when Donda 2 finally arrived on mainstream streaming services, the wider release didn’t last long due to a disagreement over payments to the producers. Jahmal “Boogz Da Beast” Gwin and Brian “AllDay” Miller, along with their manager DeAndre “Free” Maiden, say West still owes them a large amount of money for their work on Donda 2.

Kanye West may be neglecting to pay for work

The producers contributed to eight of the album’s eighteen tracks. Maiden stated publicly that West had not paid them for nearly three years, even though their music was still being used. He also said the producers never gave permission for their work to be used on Donda 2 or any other project by Ye (West’s current name). After Maiden and his legal team threatened legal action, the album was promptly removed from streaming services.

West responded to the accusations on social media, claiming Maiden was trying to extort $3 million from him for the beats. He suggested Maiden was exploiting the situation for money and mentioned that he had personally mentored the producers. West shared a screenshot of a message from Maiden detailing the unpaid work and the planned legal steps to take the album down. West ended his post with the word “Managers” and a shrugging emoji, seeming to dismiss the issue.

This situation adds to West’s already chaotic year. Recent news has covered many controversial actions and statements from the artist. These include claims about incest, wearing a KKK-style outfit and a swastika necklace, and making negative comments about his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. His appearance at the Grammys with his wife, Bianca Censori, also caused outrage because of Censori’s revealing clothing. Additionally, a recent Twitch stream featuring West was shut down within minutes for violating the platform’s rules against hate speech.

This isn’t the first time West’s behavior has gotten him banned from online platforms. Prominent figures have previously called for him to be removed from X (formerly Twitter), showing how his actions continue to damage his reputation and professional relationships. The Donda 2 dispute highlights growing conflicts between artists and producers over payment and rights to use music.