A list of brands and companies that have cut ties with Ye
The topic on everyone’s mind this week is undoubtedly the drama and controversy behind Mr West and his recent antics that have forced a plethora of companies to sever any ties they might have had with the rapper. Here is a list of brands that have condemned his behaviour and cut the possibility of any future work with him.
Adidas
After the partnership went ‘under review’ on October 6, Adidas finally cut all ties with anything Yeezy as a result of his anti-semitic comments on an Instagram post. This comes after Ye himself went on the Drink Champs podcast and said the sportswear brand would never drop him despite making such comments. Now, because this partnership has fallen through, Ye is no longer a billionaire according to Forbes and has seen his net worth drop to $400 million.
Balenciaga
Balenciaga’s parent company Kering announced on October 21 that they would eradicate all affiliation after the rapper opened for their Spring/Summer 2023 show in Paris Fashion Week. Kering stated that “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.” In terms of Ye’s close relationship with the fashion house’s creative director Demna, he said that the pair are “kindred” spirits and that “nothing can keep us away from each other.”
Vogue
On the same day as Balenciaga, Vogue also came out to announce that they would no longer be working with Kanye again after he slandered their Global Fashion Editor at Large, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who voiced her disapproval of the Yeezy Season 9 show that featured a White Lives Matter t-shirt. Her personal style and authority within the fashion industry were questioned by the troublesome rapper which led to body shaming via Instagram.
Chase Bank
JP Morgan Chase decided to close all of Ye’s bank accounts, including his Yeezy branded merchandising accounts and has given him until November 21 to transfer all of his funds elsewhere. With Chase reporting earnings of $48.3 billion in 2022, losing Ye’s estimated $1.5 billion shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
CAA
Creative Arts Agency, one of the biggest talent agencies in the world, has officially dropped Ye as a client after UTA, another talent agency, showed their disapproval of the rapper’s recent actions. This would be a big opportunity for other talent agencies, that is if they are willing to take the risk. There is also a possibility that the rapper will represent himself in the future.
MRC
Following the ‘jeen-yuhs’ documentary that was released earlier this year, Media Rights Company has announced that they have shelved plans to distribute the already finished documentary in order to minimise the amplification of his platform. The company has also urged other industry leaders to do the same as they condemn his recent behaviour.
Def Jam
Although Kanye’s contract with Def Jam came to a close after the release of his Donda album over a year ago, his G.O.O.D. music imprint is still under the ownership of the record label and the label deal is very much in limbo. This could make releasing new music under his own label difficult and it is uncertain how this will all unfold.
With other names including Gap, TJ Maxx, Foot Locker and most recently Peloton having joined the ever-expanding list – stay tuned for more news on Kanye and this ongoing saga.
PHOTO CREDIT: GOTHAM/GC IMAGES
