In what may be the toughest blow, ego-wise, in the fallout from Kanye West’s antisemitic rants last week, Forbes announced today that the rapper is no longer on its glitzy list of the world’s billionaires. Adidas’s decision to end its relationship with Ye today was a major factor in the transformation. He was one of the first hip-hop moguls on the list.
“Without Adidas, Ye is worth $400 million,”Forbes’ piece is here. “The remainder of Ye’s [as Kanyer is now called] fortune,Forbesestimates, comes from real estate, cash, his music catalog, and a 5% stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims. (A source close to Skims toldForbesYe hasn’t been involved with the brand since its 2019 launch.)”
With Adidas dropping the rapper early today, calls went up for the musician’s record label, Universal Music, to drop him next. But per a New York Times PieceUpdated today: They may have already parted ways.
NYT:
He has resigned from Def Jam, his long-standing record label; his contract with the company expired along with his 2021 album. “Donda.” And Ye’s own label, G.O.O.D. According to a person familiar with the transactions, Music, which has previously released music by Pusha T, is no longer associated with Def Jam. Ye was not able to respond to questions and a representative from Def Jam declined comment.
This growing list now includes Adidas and Balenciaga as well as projects and companies that have split from the controversial rapper. Further, MRC said Monday that it was not moving forward with its recently completed documentary about the musician. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, Gersh’s Bob Gersh and UTA’s Jeremy Zimmer have all also spoken out to condemn him.