Kanye West Announces Retirement from Music in Message to Rich The Kid
Rich the Kid has shared a text purportedly from Kanye West, in which West states his intention to step away from music.
On Tuesday (July 9), the ‘New Freezer’ rapper posted screenshots of a text exchange that appeared to be between him and Ye, with the ‘All Falls Down’ artist explaining his uncertainty about continuing in music. “I am retiring from professional music. Not sure what else to do,” Ye allegedly wrote in the message.
Rich The Kid responded, trying to persuade him otherwise, replying: “Retire? Why? How? The people NEED you. The music you, Ty, and we have created has made the BIGGEST impact on culture to date in 2024.
Drop Ye about mine & V2 and we do it all over again. The kids need you, big bro, for sure. Maybe take some time to chill, but retiring isn’t the answer.”
Shortly after sharing the screenshot of their text exchange on his Instagram story, Rich the Kid deleted it. However, by then, the conversation had already circulated widely on Twitter and other social media platforms.
Fans have reacted with mixed opinions: some are accepting Kanye West’s retirement announcement at face value, while others speculate that it could be a strategic move ahead of a potential new venture or project.
Following this, Rich the Kid then took to Twitter and other platforms to announce, “ACTUALLY WE DROPPING FRIDAY 7/19,” revealing details about his upcoming album. Notably, the album features Ye on the track ‘Plaine Jane’.
Ngl if he is retiring, ima say this and yall gon come at me crazy but standing on this, Kanye West has the greatest album discography in the history of hip hop no one can convince me otherwise. https://t.co/FU4dhUxpi1
ye not done, if he “retire”..it’ll be a Jay-z retirement where he’s in it, he’s around it, might do a surprise verse but just not putting out albums regularly.
kanye is too beloved, he’s needed still. artists & friends arent gonna let him “retire”. ye will always be around.
In 2020, Kanye West made a public commitment to “free all artists by any means necessary,” sparking a vehement critique of the music industry. His outspoken stance included proposing new standards for recording and publishing contracts while addressing issues such as contracts, masters, and artist rights extensively on Twitter.
During this period, West was embroiled in a legal dispute with publishing company EMI, eventually reaching a settlement for the second time.
Initially suing EMI in January 2019, West claimed the company, which had published his music since 2003, aimed to bind him to a lifetime of “servitude.”
Reports from 2019 indicated that his record contract included provisions preventing him from retiring. Subsequently, West and EMI informed the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York of their intention to settle the lawsuit, reaching an “agreement in principle.”
