For some time now, the rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, has been launching attacks and settling scores via Instagram. He has particularly targeted other rappers, his ex-wife, and now his collaborators adidas and GAP, whom he accuses of plagiarism. After leaving Nike several years ago because the rapper from Atlanta felt he was not receiving the royalties he deserved, it seems he is reiterating and strongly considering detaching himself from the German equipment manufacturer.
The origin of the tensions
But why is Kanye West so upset with adidas? Mainly because he believes that some of his designs have been plagiarized in order to sell them for less and that the brand does not have to pay his royalties. The two models in question are the Adilettes 22 and the adiFOM Q, which are said to be inspired both in color and design by the Yeezy Slide and the Yeezy Foam Runner created by the rapper. According to him, “These shoes represent the disrespect of people in power towards talent,” he expressed on his social media while addressing adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted directly.
Another fact that has heightened the rift between the two: Yeezy Day. Indeed, Ye reportedly never gave his approval for the organization of this day, nor for the restocks and releases that took place. The brand with the three stripes also allegedly chose certain designs, colorways, and materials without consulting the artist. He claims that the German brand “hired a general manager for Yeezy without my approval, took talents from production and sprinkled them into Adidas Originals without my approval.”
Finally, the rapper criticizes his collaborators for not opening permanent stores when it was planned. He also believes he saved adidas and that it is Yeezy that accounts for the majority of online sales for the German equipment manufacturer.
Ye unfiltered on Instagram
To convey his messages and express his dissatisfaction, Kanye West is known for making provocative and impactful Instagram posts. He has particularly targeted former DC Comics CEO Daniel Cherry III and adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. He also displayed the faces along with the names of the members of the Adidas board.
Moreover, the American star has received support from some of his artist friends in the fight he is undertaking. Among them, the famous rapper Diddy made a post with the caption: "Since the era of Run-DMC, @Adidas has always used Hip Hop to build its brand and make billions of dollars from our culture. BUT WE ARE MORE THAN JUST CONSUMERS NOW, WE ARE OWNERS. @KanyeWest and YEEZY are the reason Adidas is relevant to the culture. WE KNOW OUR WORTH! I will no longer wear Adidas clothing until they rectify this situation!! We must support each other!! Everyone please repost this post!!"
As is his habit, Kanye West deleted his various posts shortly after. We are therefore eagerly awaiting the next posts that will surely provide more details on the state of the relationship between Ye's label and adidas, which is one of the most influential in sneaker culture.
The rapper and designer on the path to going solo?
Despite adidas's offer to buy Yeezy for a billion dollars, Ye wants to end this matter and emancipate himself by moving forward solo. He aims to create his own factory or partner with another shoe manufacturer to be the main decision-maker. He recently posted on Instagram a screenshot of a Wikipedia link for the family business San Antonio Shoemakers, which specializes in handmade shoes for men and women. SAS Shoes commented on the rapper's post and stated that “we sincerely appreciate the interest Ye has expressed in our company and we look forward to continuing the conversation about a potential collaboration,” said a spokesperson for SAS in a statement sent via email.
After adidas, Kanye West may take on GAP for similar reasons, mixing accusations of plagiarism and breach of contract. As he indicated on September 5 in a now-deleted post: “Now it's GAP's turn…. : )”.
On September 12, 2022, Ye stated in an interview with Bloomberg that he no longer wanted business partners for his Yeezy brand after the end of his current contracts with adidas in 2026 and GAP in 2030. The multi-talented artist also sent a letter stating that he is completely ending his collaboration with the GAP ready-to-wear brand due to non-compliance with the contract terms. He added, “It's good. I made money for companies. Companies made money for me. We created ideas that will change clothing forever {…} Now it's time for you to create the new industry. No more companies standing between me and the public.”
However, this Friday, September 23, 2022, Ye revealed on his Instagram that he is exploring possibilities to continue his partnership with the German firm. Indeed, if he ultimately considers solutions with the firm, it would be as a non-exclusive manufacturing and distribution partner. And if the sportswear brand agrees, it could receive a royalty of 20% of the net profits from overall sales.
One thing is for sure, Ye's success is not about to stop, and his fans will follow him in his adventure, whether alone or alongside adidas! Stay tuned…
UPDATE FROM OCTOBER 25, 2022: after several weeks of reflection, Adidas has finally ended its partnership with rapper Kanye West for various reasons.
