Kanye West claims Universal released 'Donda' without his permission

Kanye West accepts the video vanguard award at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Picture: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File

Kanye West accepts the video vanguard award at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Picture: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File

Published Aug 30, 2021

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Kanye West is outraged after his record label released “Donda” without his consent.

The “All Day” rapper has released a brief statement accusing Universal of making his 10th studio album available on streaming services - including Spotify and Apple Music - without his approval, as well as blocking him from releasing “Jail, Pt. 2”, which features controversial rapper DaBaby and rocker Marilyn Manson, who has been accused of abuse by a number of women, including his ex-fiance Evan Rachel Wood.

In the typed-out message, the 44-year-old star told his 7.8 million Instagram followers: "UNIVERSAL PUT MY ALBUM OUT WITHOUT MY APPROVAL AND THEY BLOCKED JAIL 2 FROM BEING ON THE ALBUM."

Initially, all but one song was released, with 'Jail, Pt. 2' being added hours later on Sunday, with DaBaby spitting about the homophobic comments he made about HIV and AIDS at Rolling Loud Festival.

He raps: “I said one thing they ain’t like, threw me out like they ain’t care for me/ Threw me out like I’m garbage, huh?/ And that food that y’all took off my table/ You know that feed my daughters, huh? (Mmm)/ But I ain’t really mad, ’cause when I look at it/ I’m getting them snakes up out my grass."

Manson - who sparked outrage when he joined Kanye and DaBaby on stage at his recent Chicago listening party for the LP - appears on the hook.

Despite DaBaby appearing at the “Stronger” hitmaker's listening party, the “ROCKSTAR” hitmaker was replaced by Jay-Z on the track “Jail”.

Kanye had told his manager he would not be removing DaBaby, 29, in a series of screenshots of their text exchanges, despite it allegedly holding up the release.

Referring to his failed bid to become President of the United States, Kanye wrote back to his manager Abou 'Bu' Thiam: “[DaBaby] was the only person who said he would vote for me in public."

The “Gold Digger” hitmaker also seemingly messaged DaBaby saying: “They tried to stop you from coming in.

"The people next to you trying to destroy you. But God gotta bigger plan. (sic)"

To which he replied: “A plan that can’t be stopped!!”

The 27-song record also includes the likes of The Weeknd, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, and a posthumous appearance from the late Pop Smoke.

Plus a surprise appearance from pop superstar Ariana Grande on the title track.