Report: Kanye West Is Done with Exclusive Streaming Releases

Kanye West isn’t just done with TIDAL. The G.O.O.D. Music boss is also reportedly done with exclusive releases for all streaming companies.

According to TMZ, Yeezy isn’t interested in embarking on another exclusive album release or contract with a TIDAL competitor, such as Apple Music or Spotify. Apparently, he wants to avoid the situation he faced with the JAY-Z-owned service and he would like more people to have access to his work.

Over the weekend, news surfaced of ‘Ye’s departure from TIDAL. As JAY’s longtime collaborator, he was one of the service’s co-owners from the start, along with the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, and J. Cole. However, he left the company following a feud with Hov and a possible legal dispute. Yeezy reportedly feels he is owed $3 million, while TIDAL plans on suing him if he leaves for another streaming service.

Last year, West seemed to denounce a streaming war between Apple Music and TIDAL. “This Tidal Apple beef is fucking up the music game,” he tweeted. “I need Tim Cook Jay Z Dez Jimmy Larry me and Drake Scooter on the phone or in a room this week!!! Apple give Jay his check for Tidal now and stop trying to act like you Steve.”

Since then, however, his relationship with JAY-Z seems to have soured. In November, Yeezy called Jigga out for blocking a collaboration with Drake due to “TIDAL-Apple bullshit.” Hov addresses this feud on his newest album, 4:44. “This ain’t ‘Kumba-yay,'” he raps. “But you got hurt because you did cool by ‘Ye / You gave him 20 million without blinkin’ / He gave you 20 minutes on stage, fuck was he thinkin’?”

Kanye has been working on the follow-up to last year’s The Life of Pablo, which remained exclusive to TIDAL for about a month-and–half, while Yeezy tinkered with and updated the release. Eventually, the project went platinum.