Louder... this video is kinda frustrating because it's narrated in thick ... ahh... "ghetto" vernacular... BUT, it's very important and very significant to the new Jay album and to our mutual friend Kanye and the relationship between those two.
Kanye done with Tidal?
Apparently, Kanye is hot under the collar about his contract with Tidal, and no longer considers himself a part of the company. Why? Because... uhh... well, I guess Tidal never paid him a cent for the ~1.5 million subscribers he that flooded to Tidal when TLOP was running as an exclusive there. Like, not a cent. Nor did they pay him the money they promised him in reimbursements for videos that would be made for the album.
The YouTube video basically takes Kanye's side, but also says Kanye "never made any videos" for TLOP. (???) Buf "Famous" was a Tidal exclusive for a while, and all the videos he made for the album (there were 3 total, 4 if you count the Yeezus season 4 extended "Father Stretch my Hands" clip, and FIVE if you count the video version of the listening party) were all played on Tidal before they became widely available, even if they weren't "exclusives."
So, while I love the fuck out of this new Jay album, I'm a big queefed off at Jay.
I mean, of all the exclusive albums that have dropped over the past few years, no artist has ever pushed as hard for their format as Kanye did for Tidal when TLOP first dropped. He freaking DOUBLED their number of registered users for fuck's sake. He probably kept Tidal afloat for another year with that shit. That's insane. Also, as the video mentions, he also basically gave up album sales for Tidal. And when he changed the album, the changes came to Tidal first.
And he hasn't been paid more than his normal, like, 3.5% "co-owner" share?
Interesting. Makes sense now why he took the album to Apple Music, after saying he never would. Makes sense that he released it on his own website too. I can feel super good about myself knowing that I paid that fucking cash money for the MP3 version AND like $700 in concert tickets.
OH OH OH! And Tidal/Jay is saying. "Heu, if you think you're going to leave, and if you try to make an exclusive anywhere else, we'll sue you."
Which is FUCKED UP. But... BUT... maybe it's a good thing? Maybe it will convince Kanye to abandon streaming exclusives and focus on releasing hard copies of albums on, you know, that fucking LABEL he owns? Like everyone wants him to do? That would be great.
Anyway watch the video.