Kanye West dropped Donda 2 on streaming platforms and within hours found himself entangled in a fresh legal mess involving unpaid production fees and accusations of music theft.
On Wednesday (April 30), West took to social media to publicly accuse longtime industry executive Free Maiden of attempting to extort $3 million in exchange for beats used on the album.
“Free Maiden tried to charge me 3 million dollars for these beats from people I showed how to make beats to now he going to take down Donda 2,” West wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “Managers.”
Maiden discovered West, brought him into the industry, first introduced him to JAY-Z and ran his record label and publishing company for many years. He’s been instrumental in the careers of G.O.O.D. Music artists Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Teyana Taylor and Big Sean. He’s also worked with The Notorious B.I.G, Mase and others.
Maiden said that West owes him a significant amount of money. He also owes Boogz a major amount of money due to unauthorized records on West’s stem player (of which Boogz had 24 records) and owes Brian Allday for his four records on Donda 2.
Maide claimed West stole four tracks Boogz created and used them on Vultures 2, including “530,” without consent.
Speaking to AllHipHop’s Grouchy Greg Watkins, Maiden said West’s allegations that he wants to charge him $3 million for the Donda 2 records is patently false.
“Ye, as former brothers, you going to social media is weak as hell when you’re wrong,” he said. “You had a chance to address and handle our outstanding issues and speak as men.”
Maiden, who served as executive producer on Netflix’s jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, told AllHipHop that West was fully aware of the financial disputes but chose to use the music anyway. The 18-track Donda 2 features appearances by Future, Ty Dolla $ign and Jack Harlow. Maiden says his producers Boogz and Brian Allday contributed to eight of those tracks without being paid.
“You chose to run, duck, hide, and continuously steal our s###!” he said. “Why you think you have the right to continue to steal from us and monetize the work is very slum landlordish. Get on the phone like a man.”
Maiden isn’t the only one accusing the controversial rapper/producer of failing to pay up. Since 2020, West has been hit with at least 14 lawsuits tied to unauthorized samples.
More than 10 producers who worked on the Vultures albums have also claimed they haven’t been paid, though not all have taken legal action as of April.
“I’ve purposely kept our dispute quiet,” he said. “I believe in keeping family business family business. If I was a lame, which I’m not, I coulda been outted his slumlord ass ways.”
Despite West blasting his grievances out to his 33 million followers on social media, Free Maiden has no plans of backing down in an attempt to protect his producers.
“This man has been stealing for years, but I always protected him,” he said. “I’ve saved Ye nine figures in attempted lawsuits alone in the past. Gloves off now.”
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