Kanye West sues over music leaks on Instagram

Kanye West is suing an unknown Instagram user for allegedly leaking his music onto the social media platform.

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According to legal documents seen by Billboard, West filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (September 6) over the unauthorised distribution of his music. The suit alleges the individual (or individuals) behind the popular account @DaUnreleasedGod_ has violated copyright laws by leaking various Ye tracks between March and August 2023. These songs include a collaboration with DJ Khaled, footage of a Donda listening party, as well as 20-plus songs, with titles including ‘We Did It Kid’, ‘Shy Can’t Look’, ‘NASDAQ’ and ‘Mr. Miyagi’.

West and his legal team haven’t identified the person or entity behind the account, but they believe it has someone who has previously worked with the rapper. If this were the case, the individual would have had to sign a confidentiality agreement to gain access to the unreleased music, which means that leaking the tracks would amount to a breach of contract.

According to reports, the suit will be amended to include the defendant’s name when they are identified.

“The Defendant, without authorization, license, or permission from Ye, improperly leaked, published and distributed multiple Listed Compositions including but not limited to the following found on ‘Instagram’ and ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter),” the suit reads. “… Ye’s musical composition, with its distinctive arrangement and unique elements, constitutes a trade secret due to its economic value, secrecy, and the efforts taken to safeguard it.”

The filing argues that the leaks caused “substantial harm” to Kanye’s “work, reputation, and potential income” and also alleges that he “suffered significant financial losses and damages” as a result.

West is reportedly seeking legal fees as well as a permanent order (or injunction) “enjoining and restraining Defendants and their agents, servants, employees, representatives, affiliated companies and other business entities, successors, assigns, and those acting in concert with them or at their direction, from further misappropriation, disclosure or unlawful use of the trade secret or confidential information in any manner or any right in and to the Listed Compositions, including without limitation by directly or indirectly reproducing, downloading, distributing, communicating to the public, uploading, linking to, transmitting, publicly performing, or otherwise exploiting in any manner the Listed Compositions.”

Meanwhile, West has shared a preview of a new song called ‘Israel’, in which he raps about meeting the devil. It has also been reported that the rapper was preparing to drop new music “imminently”.

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