While his output of late has been hit-or-miss, to say the least, there was once a time when Kanye West's social commentary came with a bit of nuanced. "New Slaves," a Yeezus fan-favorite, found Kanye analyzing his own interpretation of modern slavery. Now, he has once again put forth the notion, this time during an ongoing legal battle with EMI Records. TMZ reports that Ye has claimed his contract to be on par with "servitude," and wishes to be "to be set free from its bonds."
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As it happens, Ye has been involved in a lawsuit with both EMI & Roc-A-Fella, and has reportedly put forth new legal documents explaining the one-sided nature of his contract. Since the EMI deal lasts, for all intents and purposes, forever, Yeezy argues that the lack of pre-set time-limit likens it to servitude. He's not merely being hyperbolic, as California law states that personal service contracts cannot last more than seven years.
The deal is said to expire once a certain level of Kanye tracks are delivered, though the exact number has yet to be determined. Apparently, Yeezy wants a judge to invalidate the contract, going as far back as 2010, which would render all subsequent song ownership back to him. Clearly, Ye is moving to own his own masters, and this EMI contract is proving a particularly irksome obstacle. Hopefully, the rapper can find his way out of this one with a dub.
