Kanye West talked up Donda Academy when it was launched in 2022. The rapper wanted to provide a space for the leaders and innovators to hone their talents without having to adhere to standard models of education. The school never really caught on, however, and allegations made by a former staff member may provide clarity as to why. Cecilia Hailey is currently suing Kanye West for wrongful termination. Her suit alleges she she was fired for pushing back against the rapper’s curriculum. The former teacher also went into detail about said curriculum in a new interview.
Cecilia Hailey spoke with The U.S. Sun about her time working under Kanye West. She alleged that the rapper wanted the students to march, as well as take shooting classes. Hailey claims that she voiced her concern for these practices. “I’m thinking that is not gonna happen if I’m here,” she noted to the outlet. “That’s not acceptable, it’s not necessary, and what does that have to do with education?” Hailey said that she felt Kanye West was “delusional” and likened his practices to Adolf Hitler. Someone who West has openly (and controversially) expressed admiration for in the past.
“Teaching these kids to march,” she claimed. “To be honest with you I kind of got like Hitler vibes around that or real bizarre things.” Cecilia Hailey alleged that Donda Academy teachers were not allowed to step in and prevent bullying among students. She alleged that students regularly got physical, which she felt was an even bigger issue given the wide range of ages. “So you might have a fourth grader hitting on a kindergarten or a first grader,” Hailey said. “We had kids hiding under tables because they were afraid. It was mayhem, really.”
This is not the first time Cecilia Hailey has spoken out against Donda Academy. The teacher had two and a half decades of experience prior to joining the staff. Hailey’s lawsuit, which was filed in August of 2023, alleged that the school failed to provide proper testing or “individualized learnings plans” in accordance with California state regulations. Furthermore she alleged that the students were behind in terms of their counterparts in other schools. She alleged, for example, that they were at least two years behind when it came to mathematics. The lawsuit against Kanye West has a trial date set for April 2025.
Back in November 2022, Kanye West was sued by rights holders over an unauthorized sample of pioneering rap group Boogie Down Productions’ 1987 hit “South Bronx” on Kanye’s album, Donda. The sample allegedly appeared on the song “Life Of The Party” after Kanye first submitted, then retracted, a licensing request the year before.
According to Billboard, that lawsuit has now been settled. Both sides have agreed to dismiss the case, with each paying their own legal fees, although the terms of the settlement and any exchange of rights, royalties, etc. were not revealed.
Phase One Network, the group that owns Boogie Down’s copyrights, had alleged “final clearance for use of ‘South Bronx’ in the infringing track was never authorized,” but that “the infringing track was nevertheless reproduced, sold, distributed, publicly performed and exploited.” Meanwhile, Kanye’s lawyers argued that BDP frontman KRS-One had promised the free use of his catalog to “all MCs” in the 2006 documentary The Art of 16 Bars, in which he publicly stated “you will not get sued” for sampling his music.
Of course, KRS does not own the catalog which he freely offered, so his standing to make such a claim was derided as “bizarre” by Phase One’s attorneys. While Kanye West has since been dismissed from the case, the lawsuit will still continue against the makers of Kanye’s Stem Player, KANO, who were included for their role in distributing the album. A spokesperson for KANO told Rolling Stone in 2022, “The KANO and STEM team were assured by Kanye and Yeezy that they would provide music with ‘all intellectual property rights, licenses and consents.’”
Kanye West is being sued for copyright infringement over his 2021 album Donda again, according to Billboard. This time, the songs at issue are “Hurricane” and “Moon,” which rights management company Artist Revenue Advocates (ARA) claims illegally interpolate samples of a song called “MSD PT2.”
Intriguingly, ARA admits that Kanye credited the original songwriters — Khalil Abdul-Rahman Hazzard, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease — in the liner notes, but only after the creators initially refused to grant him a license to use the song in the first place. While the lawsuit was prompted by ARA’s inability to collect fees for the past three years, lawyers for ARA wrote, “This lawsuit is about more than defendants’ failure to pay a fee. It is about the rights of artists, musicians, and songwriters to determine how their works are published and used. Intellectual property owners have a right to decide how their property is exploited and need to be able to prevent shameless infringers from simply stealing.”
Donda has already been the subject multiple lawsuits for copyright infringement, as Bishop David Paul Moten filed suit in May 2022 over the use of one of his sermons on “Come To Life,” and a few months later, Boogie Down Productions filed suit in November 2022 over the song, “Life Of The Party,” which apparently interpolates “South Bronx” from Criminal Minded. That same year, Kanye was also sued for a song from Donda‘s follow-up, Donda 2, that sampled Marshall Jefferson’s “Move Your Body.”
Kanye West has been wrapped up in his fair share of legal trouble as of late. Now, he’s been hit with yet another lawsuit. This time, he’s being accused of copyright infringement by Artist Revenue Advocates. The suit alleges that Ye used DJ Khalil and three other artists’ work without paying them or getting permission and that he partook in “blatant theft.”
According to AllHipHop, DJ Khalil worked with Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease to create a track in 2018. It was later included in a “composer pack” for interested buyers. It was used on Ye’s Donda songs “Hurricane” and “Moon,” though he allegedly didn’t have permission.
Ye attends the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 23, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images For Kenzo)
“The West Defendants did, at various times, seek the Artists’ permission to include the Work in ‘Hurricane.’ No permission was granted,” the lawsuit reads. “In an act of blatant brazenness, Defendants even credited the Artists as songwriters and producers on both ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Moon,’” it continues. “Of course, given that Defendants knew they did not have permission to use the Work. The fact that they credit the Artists as songwriters and producers is effectively an admission of copyright infringement.”
“West’s unlawful use of the Work follows an unfortunate pattern and practice of taking other artists’ music without their permission,” the lawsuit adds. “Other instances of willful infringement by West include unauthorized use of music from Ozzy Osbourne and Donna Summer. West’s history of deliberate use of the music of others stands in stark contrast with his position as a supposed champion of artists’ rights.” The plaintiff is seeking undisclosed damages. What do you think of Kanye West getting hit with yet another lawsuit? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Kanye West is arguing that his decision to fire Benjamin Deshon Provo was justifiable after the former security guard sued him, earlier this year. Provo claims West let him go for refusing to shave his dreadlocks after the Yeezy mogul and his own manager, John Hicks, demanded he do so. He previously worked at Donda Academy and Sunday Service events as well as at a Yeezy warehouse in 2021.
“Defendants are informed and believe, and based on such information and belief allege that Defendants were justified in doing any and/or all of the acts alleged in the Complaint,” Ye’s lawyers argued in response to the claims, as caught by In Touch Weekly. In turn, they want a California judge to dismiss the case.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 21: Kanye West on March 21, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
As for Provo’s lawsuit, his attorney argued that “Hicks approached Plaintiff and stated, ‘Kanye said, ‘Tell the one with the dreads to shave his head or he is fired.’ Plaintiff refused to shave his head, and as a result thereof, his employment was terminated.” Provo is also accusing West of allegedly discriminating against Black employees and expressing “negative beliefs associated with prominent Black leaders.” For instance, he claims West banned books by Martin Luther King Jr. from the school. Provo and his team further claimed: “Kanye and members of his management team subjected Provo and other Black employees to less favorable treatment than their white counterparts. Specifically, Kanye frequently screamed at and berated Black employees, while in contrast, he never so much as raised his tone of voice toward white staff.”
Provo is just one of several of West’s former employees filing civil cases against him. Others have claimed Donda Academy wouldn’t allow students to go outside, use chairs, and much more. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kanye West on HotNewHipHop.
Kanye West is in legal hot water. The legendary rapper has been accused of sexual harassment by a woman who used to be his assistant, Lauren Pisciotta. The assistant claims that she worked with West on his fashion line, as well as a trio of songs on his 2021 album, Donda. What started out as a working relationship quickly spiraled, however. Pisciotta alleges that West sent her sexually explicit texts and videos of him having sexual relations with other women.
TMZ broke the news of the lawsuit on June 3. Pisciotta was hired by Kanye West in July 2021, and she claimed that she was offered $1 million by the rapper to delete her OnlyFans account. Within a year, she was promoted to Chief of Staff for several of West’s companies, with an annual salary of $4 million. The downside of this promotion that was Pisciotta claims she was frequently subjected to sexual harassment. She said West repeatedly pleasured himself during phone conversations, and asked her to guess what he was doing. Pisciotta also claimed that that rapper was fixated on the sexual habits of her boyfriends. She added that West would repeatedly describe his sexual fantasies to her via text.
TMZ provides example of these alleged texts. One of them reads: “See my problem is I be wanting to f**k. But then after I f**k I want a girl to tell me how hard they been f**ked while I’m f**king them. Then I want her to cheat on me.” Things get more explicit in the subsequent examples. One text, in particular, sees West claim that his genitalia is “racist” due to his sexual preferences. I’m going to stare at pictures of white woman with black a*ses,” he allegedly wrote. “And beat the sh*t out of my racist d**k.” It should be noted that the latter example was a text that Pisciotta recalled from memory. Pisciotta was fired from West’s company in October 2022. The former Chief of Staff claimed that West offered her $3 million as a severence package, but has yet to pay her.
Pisciotta is reportedly suing for breach of contract, sexual harassment, wrongful termination and hostile work environment. This is not the first time Kanye West has been accused of questionable behavior by his ex-employees. In 2022, NBC claimed that West paid a settlement to a former employee who claimed West praised Adolf Hitler during work meetings. Five other employees have attested to the fact that the rapper has brought up Hitler in professional settings. West’s camp has yet to comment on these latest allegations.
It’s never easy witnessing the downfall of a cultural phenomenon, especially in the way that Kanye went from a beacon of hope to an artistic pariah who became more engulfed in controversy the further he was platformed. Unfortunately, the backlash wasn’t detached from his artistic output, and Ye has frequently failed to deliver an album without allowing his antics to overshadow it. In the case of Vultures 1, the first of three supposed collaborative albums between Ye and Ty Dolla $ign, that was almost the case. From listening events to hotel parties, the two artists delivered the album in different iterations as they tinkered with the final product and presumably, attempted to clear up some of the admin work attached with sample clearance.
At this point, Kanye West has gained notoriety for failing to release albums on schedule and the circus that surrounds these projects heavily contributes to the rollout. Unfortunately, that often means that, despite the wait, the music still sounds unfinished by the time it’s on DSPs and remains that way.
That’s the biggest difference between projects like Donda and Ye and Vultures 1. Though unveiled similarly, Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative effort sounds like a labor of love rather than a byproduct of a new Yeezy campaign. For the first time in a while, there’s a common ground between Ye’s ideas and the execution, largely carried by Ty Dolla $ign’s stellar performances across the album and an attention to detail that was sorely missing in recent albums. However, where Ye lacks from a lyrical standpoint – and there are plenty of those moments – he makes up for tenfold through his production.
Vultures Lands
Without a fresh bout of controversy to go up against, Vultures 1 remains a rather smooth listen from front to back. Since 2015, the chemistry between Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign has delivered on all fronts with each collaboration. On Vultures 1, the two artists complement each other’s styles through plenty of contrast yet without losing a sense of cohesion. The two could weave through wholesome moments like “Talking/Once Again,” where North West makes an adorably assertive rap debut and Ty Dolla $ign leads the gospel to heavenly glory, then leap into a hypnotizingly muddy banger with “Hoodrat,” where Ye and Ty Dolla $ign capture the haziness of hotel afterparties and bathroom sex.
As a producer, Kanye’s ability to lead Ty Dolla $ign – and vice versa – allows the two of them to pull from each other’s respective strengths. Ty’s versatility made him a multi-faceted voice who could easily transition between touching ballads, ratchet bangers for the strip club, and soulful R&B with little effort. Through that, Ty becomes a vessel for Kanye’s ear, executing airy falsettos that elevate the orchestral production on “Stars” or his passionate earworm of a hook on “Burn” that allows Kanye to sound like he’s back in 2005. However, the familiarity that comes with both of these records feels like it lends itself to the formula that Kanye’s utilized since The Life Of Pablo, where he’s pulling ideas from his old catalog.
The Good & Bad Of “Carnival”
Yet he finds new ways to innovate sonic motifs. Kanye often used choirs to bring a sense of spirituality and soul to his music, whether on The College Dropout or Jesus Is King. However, the way he utilizes it on “Carnival” is unlike anything he’s delivered recently. “Carnival” stands as the crown jewel of the 16-song collection, if only because of the rambunctious and drunken collection of European Ultras yelling “head so good, she honor roll” in unison. The blistering chants and grinding synthesizers fuel the high-octane energy, reminiscent of UK punk and sweaty mosh pits.
Despite this, Ye delivers one of his worst lyrical performances of the album, likening himself to R. Kelly and Bill Cosby before landing on Jesus but by that point, you’re startled by Kanye stating that he’s “#MeToo me rich.” No matter how you look at it, it’s a weak attempt to troll, whether he’s crusading against cancel culture or actually advocating for the innocence of sexual predators.
With a wide range of collaborators at their disposal, Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign brought through some unexpected features on the project. Playboi Carti’s appearance on “Carnival” marks one of two stellar performances on the album, alongside the hypnotic ode to Memphis, “F*CKSUMN.” Evolving his delivery from a deeper register adds a level of curiosity to his flow. It’s almost whimsically inquisitive when he emerges on “Carnival” and pays homage to SahBabii or when he asks, “Shawty wanna fuck?” on the latter.
Meanwhile, Freddie Gibbs delivers the verse of the album, if not the year so far on “Back To Me.” He swiftly turns Ye’s cheeky interpolation of Jay’s “beautiful big t*tty women just don’t fall out the sky you know” into a katana-sharp verse that’s equally playful and gruff with bars like, “Turn a bird bitch to my X like I was Elon.” Other standout moments on the project come from Chris Brown who delivers a haunting gospel on “Beg Forgiveness,” and Quavo means business on “Paperwork.” There’s a lot of heavy lifting from collaborators across the project, to the point where this album likely wouldn’t be as digestible without them.
In its totality, Vultures 1 is the first album from Kanye West in a long time that feels like it isn’t trying to harness some bigger picture or push some sort of agenda outside of music. His vulnerability feels sincere on songs like the Timbaland-produced “Keys To My Life,” where he reflects on his dilapidated marriage to Kim Kardashian over sorrowfully pitched-up vocal samples of India Love. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between, which allows them to pack an even more potent punch on the tracklist.
Overall, Kanye sounds like he’s having a blast and it’s refreshing to hear. Ty’s penchant for smooth, sexually charged pen and Kanye’s flagrantly grotesque bars that often lean into the TMI territory fuel the self-indulgent tones. This level of playfulness yields solid results on songs like “Do It” ft. YG and Nipsey Hussle. It’s a return to the form of ratchet raps that both YG and Ty Dolla $ign helped establish in the West Coast alongside Mustard.
Meanwhile, Nipsey’s posthumous contributions, originally appearing on an unreleased Cardi B song titled “Wanna Know,” find an even better home over an eerily mesmerizing vocal loop. Unlike most posthumous features from Nipsey, “Do It” is a firm reminder of how adept he was at delivering stripper-friendly bops as much as lyrically-dense entrepreneurial gems. The addition of YG’s verse at the end, over a sample of Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up,” is the icing top.
Perhaps the only thing that warranted an ounce of excitement surrounding the initial announcement of Vultures was Ty Dolla $ign’s involvement. He and Kanye are polar opposites in many ways, primarily because Ty is as unproblematic as they come while the same can’t be said for Ye. However, they’ve established such a strong rapport over the years that it’s clear Ty Dolla $ign has put some sort of battery in Kanye’s back, one that allowed him to challenge himself beyond what his ego (and his yes men) tells him is genius.
Most importantly, Kanye sounds like there’s a sense of joy in making music on Vultures 1. The past few albums became vessels of communication for larger grievances; an unrelenting wielding of influence in the face of the most influential institutes, whether Adidas, Nike, Disney & Hulu, or the Kardashian clan at large. While that remains prevalent, like in “Burn” when he declares that he “burned 8 billion to take off my chains,” there’s a sense of vindication that comes with no restrictions or major label contracts to adhere to.
Vultures 1 pales in comparison to a discography built on pushing boundaries and shifting the culture. That even extends to the collaborative projects in Ye’s arsenal. However, while Jay-Z and Kid Cudi unlocked new levels out of Kanye on Watch The Throne and Kids See Ghosts, Ty Dolla $ign helped Kanye find a place of comfort amid the chaos that has trailed behind him over the past six years. It’s a new era in Kanye’s career, one that doesn’t veer too far from where he was in 2022. But with Ty Dolla $ign’s companionship, Kanye’s able to hone his focus to deliver an album that’s more worthy of listening to than debating.
Kanye West is nothing if not ambitious. He’s often tried to take on some monumental challenges that very few other artists would even attempt. That can sometimes frustrate fans when projects are announced and never followed up it. West has a notorious history of projects never materializing. Some of the most notable examples being albums he announces that never drop. A recent collaborative project he announced with Ty Dolla $ign was supposed to drop over the weekend but never did. The album is now rumored to drop on New Year’s Eve, but fans aren’t exactly getting their hopes up.
Now, in a new Tweet, the mysterious rapper has made his most ambitious announcement yet, an entire self-sustaining city. He shared a short press release for a city called DROAM which is reportedly still in Phase 1 development. The plans for the city are wildly ambitious with the promise that it will span 100,000 acres, approximately twice the size of New York City. In the post, he’s also asking for collaborators to sign onto the project to help him. He’s looking for project managers, engineers, architects, contractors, and builders to join the team working on the city. Check out the full post below.
The announcement comes just a day after a report that Kanye West’s Los Angeles church has been completely abandoned. West purchased the Church in March of this year for $1.5 million but after he spent the past few months in Europe, the church is now in disarray. Included in the report are pictures of the church with boarded up windows and piling up trash.
Kanye also listed his Malibu home for sale earlier this week. The house was notoriously stripped down almost entirely of its faculties earlier this year and is now basically gutted. That’s why fans were so surprised that the listing price was an astronomical $53 million. What do you think of Kanye West’s idea to build an entire new city in the Middle East? Do you think the project will ever get close to being completed? Let us know in the comment section below.
Michael Rapaport has unleashed a scathing rant about Kanye West. “You fat pile of sh-t. You fat, washed up pile of sh-t. What are you – CIA? FBI? You a fed, you fat f-ck? You fat bloated f-ck. Jewish people are going through enough. We don’t need your fat f-cking dusty a– saying anything. If your mother was still alive, she’d be embarrassed. You’re an embarrassment to Donda. You got a new record coming out? Brick. No one’s f-cking with your music. You look like sh-t and I bet you smell like sh-t too,” the actor said.
Rapaport, who has become a viral sensation for his TikTok defenses of Israel since renewed hostilities between Israel and Palestine, was responding to comments West made during a listening party rant for Vultures. the rant took aim at the Jewish community, Adidas, and individuals like JAY-Z and Drake. “N-gga just cause I had a car, n-gga. F-ck everybody, n-gga. That’s what I’m trying to say to you n-ggas right f-cking now, n-gga. Drake, this is what you been waiting for. Jay-Z, this is what you been waiting for. Adidas, this is what you been waiting for. Kim, this is what you been waiting for. n-ggas be hanging around these n-ggas for the money on some Mike Rubin sh-t,” Kanye said in part.
However, Rapaport isn’t the only person coming for Kanye. Azealia Banks took aim at West, specifically for his comments attacking Nicki Minaj. “Okay. Now I’m really pissed the f-ck off. Regardless of how I feel about PF2, did fat smelly loser Kanye west really just try step all over Nicki’s release? Did I hear correctly when he tried to take credit for supporting her career?????” Banks wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Minaj and Kanye are feuding because Minaj refused to clear her verse for “New Body”, a track set to appear on Kanye’s upcoming album, Vultures. “New Body” was originally meant to appear on the unreleased Yandhi. However, it was reworked into a Christian track for Jesus Is King but creative differences between Kanye and Minaj meant that the song was left off the album. Ty Dolla $ign implied on his track “Status” in 2020 that Kanye refused to release the song because it was “generic shit”.
KayCyy is an artist who has been making quite the name for himself over the past few years. Overall, he is an artist who is known for his incredible versatility. From his singing voice to his rapping ability, he is someone who is multi-faceted. With each of his releases, KayCyy has been able to showcase that versatility in abundance. Fans certainly got a taste of that on his latest full-length effort TW2052which is a collaborative project with producer Gesaffelstein.
Furthermore, you probably also know KayCyy from his work on Donda. He was one of the many artists who collaborated on the project with Kanye West. Throughout the album’s creation, KayCyy became an inside source of information on social media. Not to mention, he also got the hook on Keep My Spirit Alive. It was here that a lot of fans were introduced to the artist. However, KayCyy has proven that he can more than hold his own on his own work. He’s an exciting breath of fresh air and many are taking notice.
HNHH got to sit down with KayCyy where we spoke on a plethora of topics. From his latest album to his evolution as an artist, KayCyy had a lot of great insight. Moreover, KayCyy also got to touch on the Utopia situation and how it made him want to stick up for artists everywhere. It was a great conversation that you will not want to miss.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
HNHH: Back in May you dropped off your album TW2052 with Gesaffelstein. How did you get linked up with him in the first place?
KayCyy: It was a connection because we both had worked on Donda and happened to be on the same label. So the CEO kind of just like he put it together in a way that made sense and then when we linked up. It was a really great chemistry. So we kept it going in a way, so I still talk to him.
What was your kind of creative process for that album in terms of the vision and having it all come together?
Just kind of felt like some futuristic type vibes. That’s how I felt as I was kind of new to his style but when I found out it just felt like it was something that’s super in the future. I just tried to match that. That’s kind of why I named it 2052.
How do you feel like your voice specifically fits that futuristic tone and aesthetic?
It’s kind of like sometimes your goal is some dark sounds and I kind of feel like my voice is more like the light. It kind of just matches those dark chords in a way where it just kind of meets beautifully in the middle.
Speaking on other tracks you dropped this year, you also had “My Jeans” which is a funky, groovy, r&b track. Is that a style you are interested in doing more of and maybe even giving fans a full album of?
Yeah, I do have a whole album in that style that I’ve been working on for the past year. That is the direction that’s supposed to come. So yeah, I just can’t wait to give people more that sound. “My Jeans,” that’s just like a taste. Like the first preview of it.
You said you’ve been working on this project for about a year now. Do you find yourself working on other projects at the same time or do you kind of just focus on one thing and try to get it done?
I think I worked on two or three at the same time. I was working on this other album that didn’t go with that whole style of “My Jeans.” I’d like to make trap stuff like my song “Stay Up” and all that kind of stuff. I just wanted to give a project where it’s more focused on my melodies and stuff like that. I’m still rapping a little bit, but I’m rapping on these melodic beats that are kind of live instruments. But at the same time I’m working on something else where I feel like if I’m in a moment and I do make a song that might not fit this style of this project, I just kind of put it in this next one that I’ve been working on
When you promoted “My Jeans,” you had the album art about not being a backup singer. This was right after not getting your proper feature credit on “Thank God” off of Travis Scott’s “Utopia.” How did you feel about not getting your credit and why did you make that part of your song rollout?
I mean, I just kind of felt like what I said, saying. I felt exactly like the whole world saw. But I do have credit as a writer. It was just more so I just felt like there’s a lot of maybe favoritism that happened in a way where my name was revealed as a feature, or maybe it was just a confusion on that part. That’s all. That’s all I felt at the time and I’m really passed it. But I tied it into the cover art because it was what I truly felt, the whole I’m not a background singer thing. Just for any artist, it’s not easy for smaller artists to do that compared to bigger artists because they’ve had a moment to kind of showcase their talents on different tracks, but it’s like when you have only a few opportunities to do so and it kind of gets a place in the backdrop, It doesn’t really help your future.
Every single year since 2020, you’ve been dropping at least one project a year. How do you feel like you’ve seen yourself evolve as an artist during that time frame?
As I get older I see different things, so I feel like it all correlates for my music. So every project is kind of a different theme. I look at everything as a superhero. I’m kind of Rob. It’s like every project is a Marvel movie or something of another Avengers or another Captain America or something. Like just fitting in your character in these different scenarios. So it’s always something different.
In 2022 I got to see you at Rolling Loud and it was a great performance. Now that you have been on the festival circuit, how has it been growing as a performer and being able to connect with fans on such a large scale?
Especially after this year I grew as a performer. After Rolling Loud I did so many other things like going all over the world in different places. So it was different and going on my own tour kind of definitely shaped me as a performer and understanding what kind of performer I’m trying to be and whatI need to work on and what I’m already good at. The China tour that I just recently did was really good on that because it really just gave me more faith in what’s to come in a way. I’m saying cuz it’s like those are actually packed out shows for myself.So it was interesting to see that all over across the world.
Throughout the years and certain situations, you have gotten an outpouring of support on social media. But sometimes, social media doesn’t reflect real life. But now, you’ve gone on tour and you’ve seen that fanbase materialize in sold out shows. How has it been being able to just get that affirmation that you are on the right track?
I think it just goes what I was saying about faith. I have my discouraging moments in my career, so it’s just like when you have those reassuring moments, it really does help me and put that battery in your back.
One thing that fans remember you for is in 2021 when you were helping Kanye West with Donda. For many, you were a hub of information giving inside information on the album. It is how a lot of fans discovered you. Take me through those days and what it was kind of like being an insider while also being a creative who’s helping with writing the album, but also just somebody who’s kind of connecting with the fans and trying to give them that inside scoop on what’s happening.
I mean, I probably shouldn’t even have been doing that. But I mean at first that’s some stuff that I did get in trouble for but it was out of pure excitement and just being in that vibe. It was dope. I mean, I feel like anything happened. It’s just that whole experience was really a learning experience. Producing wise seeing new things in life. I feel like I can’t take no negative from those moments like everything that I could take from it was positive. I learned a lot.
How did working in that fast-paced, pressured environment influence how you now work in the studio?
Obviously Ye is one of the greatest if not the greatest producer that’s living. It’’s dope to see how he puts songs together and the process of it and obviously it’s like if you’re seeing somebody that’s considered a genius do that you want to pay attention and let it soak in and obviously I do take some of those techniques and use it on my own music. Alsojust collaboration is what it really showed me, working with more than just one person to get the job done..
Yeah, and that kind of leads into my next question which was who are some of the artists or producers that you’re kind of excited to work with or want to work with in the future?
I really want to work with Rosalia one day. I think she’s incredible. And I feel like the beats that she chooses are very interesting.. I can’t wait to be in the same room with her. I’m saying. People maybe Tyler, the Creator something like that. Those are people who I haven’t worked with.
For sure and just to end off. what did you feel like was your biggest achievement in 2023 and then moving from there, what’s your goal for 2024?
Being able to tour in 2023 was probably the biggest achievement.2024, just praying to put out this album and see what comes from it and hopefully get back on the road. Put out some more clothes. Something I’ve been working on and that’s it.
(@nojumper)