Is Kanye Really A Genius

The Netflix documentary jeen-yuhs is shedding light on Kanye’s journey but in the present, he’s once again challenging paradigms. The new Donda 2 project was released exclusively on West’s own Stem Player device, priced at $200. On the first day the album was available, the  device brought in $2.2 million in revenue. The album would have had to be streamed 500 million times to earn that same amount, according to Kanye. Artists have fought for more ownership and independence for years and this is Kanye’s answer.

Apple Music had the exclusive streaming rights to last year’s Donda listening parties, which set streaming records for the platform. This time around, according to West, Apple offered $100 million and he turned it down. Donda 2 is being released on West’s own device, distribution channels and without a label. The album is the ultimate expression of independence but does it signal something for the future? To be sure, most artists aren’t in a position to release their own music, create a Kanye-like marketing buzz and fund the creation of an exclusive streaming device. At best, the average underground rapper could partner with a Kanye, who has the capital to create these things on their behalf; that would effectively position Kanye as a label and for those artists under him, the paradigm wouldn't necessarily shift. Still, for Kanye, he’s managed to achieve his wildest dreams and it takes a certain level of genius to pull it off.