Like Kanye himself, ‘Donda 2’ creates controversy
Fans must buy $200 Stem Player to listen to singer’s newest album
Donda 2 is exclusively available to listen on the Stem Player created by Kanye West. It was released without label affiliation.
Kanye West has been a hot topic as of late.
West hosted a listening party on Feb. 22 for “Donda 2”, the follow up album from his 2021 release “Donda”. The listening party was held at LoanDepot Park in Miami, and the livestream happened at an IMAX theater as well as his YouTube channel and Stem Player.
West first announced in January that “Donda 2” would only be available exclusively through his Stem Player, which was developed by Yeezy Tech and Kano computing.
The audio device costs $200 and allows listeners to manipulate the bass, sound, drums and music for a unique experience. He said he turned down a $100 million deal with Apple to instead release his music on his own platform.
West explained on Instagram why he decided to use the Stem Player saying, “Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own.”
This has caused a lot of frustration from die hard West fans who can’t afford or won’t pay $200 for the Stem Player.
Some fans have decided to make it available by pirating the music through file sharing sites on Reddit.
“If I weren’t broke, I would pay the money to get the Stem Player,” freshman Ben Seo said. “It’s like an investment. You never know if he will become the next big deal.”
But West’s decision to release the album this way has lead to it being deemed ineligible for Billboard charts because of policy.
West has been very active on Instagram as well, using his page to post about controversial topics, such as his soon-to-be ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her rumored boyfriend Pete Davidson.
West has been using Instagram to diss and mock Davidson. After Davidson deleted his Instagram account, West claimed he “ran Skete off the gram.” Other sources close to the couple say that Davidson deleted his Instagram account in support of Kardashian, so he can stay out of their drama.
With his new album coming out, a never-seen-before listening device, the Billboard ineligibilities, and Instagram controversies, it’s been a wild few months for West, who continues to be an interesting topic with media.
