A few months ago, hip-hop and heavy metal crossed over when Ozzy Osbourne praised T-Pain’s live performance of the Black Sabbath song “War Pigs.” Well, Ozzy’s had another run-in with a hip-hop star who wanted to use the song, but this one was decidedly less amicable.
Apparently, Kanye West is back up to his sample shenanigans. As recently as December, the controversial producer was taking flak for an unauthorized interpolation of Backstreet Boys’ hit “Everybody” apparently intended for Vultures, his interminably tardy joint album with Ty Dolla Sign. It turns out, that wasn’t the only uncleared sample he tried to sneak past the publishing watchdogs.
According to Osbourne via Twitter, West “ASKED permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of “War Pigs” from US Festival without vocals and was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many.” However, West “went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening” Thursday night at Chicago’s United Center. Osbourne concluded his tweet by insisting “I want no association with this man.”
. @kanyewest ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “WAR PIG” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM…
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 9, 2024
(Side note: It was actually a piece of “Iron Man” as seen in the clip below. Point stands, though.)
Kanye West x Playboi Carti x Ty Dolla Sign x Rich The Kid – “Carnival” off Vultures Vol 1
He samples ‘Hell of a Life’ from Dark Fantasy album / Black Sabbath ‘Iron Man’
“I mean since Taylor Swift, since I had the rollie on my wrist” pic.twitter.com/nxu4FagBnR
— SOUND (@itsavibe) February 9, 2024
Perhaps this is why Kanye and Ty once again failed to drop the album today — which I’m beginning to think is sort of the point. Like Donald Trump, if Kanye keeps racking up violations for blatantly breaking the rules, he can cry to his supporters that the other team is cheating or the game is rigged, all while stringing them along with empty promises and milking them of their money for a product he has little intention of ever actually delivering.