Kanye West Says He's Done Partnering with Corporate Brands Like Adidas & Gap

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, told Bloomberg News that he plans to depart from his corporate partners for solo creative endeavors.

After recently voicing his thoughts on Adidas, Ye is going solo. Formerly known as Kanye West, the Yeezy founder recently spoke to Bloomberg News about his plans on venturing out.

“It’s time for me to go it alone,” Ye said. “It’s fine. I made the companies money. The companies made me money. We created ideas that will change apparel forever. Like the round jacket, the [Yeezy Foam Runner], the slides that have changed the shoe industry. Now it’s time for Ye to make the new industry. No more companies standing in between me and the audience.”

Along with leaving Adidas, branching out from his corporate partners also means that Ye will be departing Gap, after recently defending his decision to sell Yeezy Gap clothing in replica trashbags. His currently deals with Adidas and Gap end in 2026 and 2030, respectively.

In now-deleted Instagram posts from earlier this month, Ye went after Adidas for plagerizing his designs and even offering him a $1 billion buyout.

“The fact [adidas] felt they could color my shoes and name them without my approval is really wild,” Ye wrote in one now-deleted post. He added, “I really care about building something that changes the world and something I can leave to my kids. They tried to buy me out for 1 billion dollars [USD]. My royalties next year are 500 million dollars [USD] alone.”

In support of the 21-time Grammy winner, Swizz Beatz, Diddy and T.I. have since called for an Adidas boycott.