Kanye West and Adidas: a partnership that’s been through more ups and downs than a seesaw at a toddler’s playground. I mean, how many brands can say they’ve inspired both fashion trends and Twitter storms at the same time? Recently, Yeezy took to Instagram to air his grievances with Adidas, claiming they were still cashing in on his creative genius even after their split. Talk about being left on read! Just a day after his passionate post, Adidas acted fast—pruning any and all references to Yeezy from their site as if they were trying to erase an ex from their phonebook. But here’s the kicker: how did we even get to this point? Let’s dig into the saga of creativity, business, and, well, a whole lot of drama that has characterized West’s tumultuous relationship with the iconic brand. Buckle up, because this story is anything but boring!
Kanye West demanded, and he received. The rapper took Adidas to task on Tuesday night with a lengthy Instagram post. He complained that the brand continued to promote and benefit from his Yeezy design, despite the fact that Adidas has severed ties with him. When you google http://Yeezy.com the adidas site comes before the Yeezy site,” he claimed. “Stop doing this. Stop doing your moves to hold me back. Our partnership is done.” A day later, and Adidas seemingly followed Kanye West’s request. The iconic brand has taken down all references to Yeezy products on their website.
Kanye West previously felt that Adidas was trying to have its cake and eat it too. As of Wednesday night, however, this could no longer be the case. The brand has no mention of Yeezy products anywhere on the site. This extends to past news articles about Yeezy as well. If you attempt to select images to articles on Yeezys, you will be met with an empty page. All articles pertaining to Kanye West, and his designs, have been wiped by Adidas. The brand did, admittedly, announce that 2025 would be the year they severe all ties with Yeezy.
Adidas chief executive Bjorn Gulden expressed an eagerness to put the Kanye West drama behind him during an October press conference. “There [aren’t] any more open issues,” the executive stated. “And there is no money going either way. There were tensions on many issues [but] both parties said we don’t need to fight any more… [It] belongs in the past.” Gulden went on to clarify that Adidas’ Yeezy stock was intended to be sold off by the end of 2024. Bjorn Gulden and Kanye West’s relationship has been tense, to say the least, over the last few years.
The rapper drew worldwide backlash for his Anti-Semitic remarks in 2022. These remarks are what led to Adidas severing ties, and withdrawing their involvement in Yeezy. The brand issued an official statement condemning West’s remarks. Gulden, however, claimed that the rapper did not mean what he said during a 2023 appearance on the podcast In Good Company. “I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person,” he explained. “It just came off that way… I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world.”
About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis.
In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy.
Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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