Kanye West Starts Another Feud With Adidas
Kanye West is again involved in another controversy—this time with Adidas. The rapper slammed the company for allegedly releasing Yeezys that are fake and have been marketed without Kanye’s consent.
Note that Adidas and Kanye no longer have a contract since the brand cut ties with the rapper in October 2022 for his anti-Semitic rants and outbursts. As a result, the rapper lost a $220 million deal that was estimated to be worth a total of $1.5 billion.
More recently, the 46-year-old rapper accused Adidas of “trying to rape your favorite artist.” This is after Adidas announced that it would start the “’further release of YEEZY inventory using their remaining stock, including products from 2022.”
Kanye claimed that the sneakers, which are under his brand with Adidas, are all fakes and that Adidas was allegedly suing for him $250 million.
In an Instagram video, Kanye said, “Not only are they putting out fake colorways, they are suing me for 250 million dollars and they’re also not paying me—for shoes that they’re putting out that have my name on it.”
Continuing his video rant, he said, “And they’re using contract clauses and 50 years of business experience to rape an artist, one of y’all favorite artists, right in front of y’all in broad daylight.”
Kanye also shared a post from the official Adidas Yeezy sneakers and commented, “Anybody who loves Ye would not buy these fake Yeezys. I never made these colorways. I’m not getting paid off of them and Adidas is suing me. All these celebrities and the public will stand against a T-shirt or the color of my hat but when y’all see me have my children hidden from me or see an actual Fortune 500 company rape one of your heroes in real life, don’t nobody say nothing or do nothing.”
The controversial rapper went on, “As far as the system goes, what y’all gone do now? Take my album down again? Freeze my accounts again? Threaten people to not work with me again? All the new non-approved 350’s are cooorny.”
After ending their partnership with Kanye, the athletic apparel company was left with $1.3 billion in excess inventory—unsold Yeezy shoes. The company struggled to decide what to do with it and how to dispose of it. Management eventually decided to sell them and donate some of the proceeds.
Recall that Adidas made generous donations to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change. It was a symbol of solidarity in the fight against antisemitism and other forms of hate.
Meanwhile, Kanye’s shocking behavior had him vowing that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
Based on a forecast by Forbes, Kanye is set to lose several more contracts as well as his billionaire status after cutting ties with Adidas. Adidas shared that they made several efforts to privately resolve the matter. Days after, Kanye stated on his podcast that the sneaker giant cannot drop him even after all his “anti-Semitic things.”
However, the sportswear brand begged to differ. In the announcement published on their website, the label said, “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
