Kanye West and EMI, his music publisher, have agreed to settle their lawsuit battle. The two have informed the court that they’ve made a deal, reports The Blast, which will end the prior lawsuits they filed against one another.
In January, Kanye West sued EMI in response to a publishing contract which he described as akin to “servitude.” A stipulation in West’s original contract from EMI, signed in 2003, requires the rapper-producer to “remain actively involved in writing, recording and producing compositions and major label albums, as [his] principle occupation.” It also states that he cannot “seek to retire as a songwriter, recording artist, or producer.” West sued EMI in an attempt to “obtain his freedom” from the contract, citing a California labor code limiting personal service contracts to no more than seven years as justification of the contract’s illegality. Kanye also sought to obtain ownership of his catalog.
(Read: 5 Things We Learned From Kanye West’s Interview With David Letterman)
In March, EMI retaliated by counter-suing Kanye for attempting to break his contract. The company stated that the contract only requires him to “deliver” to EMI his ownership interest in the songs he writes, and doesn’t “constitute contracts for any of [West’s] personal services.”
News of their settlement arrives just in time for the release of Kanye’s new album, Jesus Is King, this Friday. It will serve as the follow-up to his most recent album, ye, which was released in June of last year.
