Kanye West Touts $1.3M in Stem Player Sales, Says Exclusive ‘Donda 2’ Release Sinks Apple Deal

After announcing Thursday that his forthcoming album, Donda 2, would be streaming exclusively on his branded Stem Player, Kanye West (now known as Ye) says he’s raked in over $1.3 million in sales over the past day alone.

On Instagram Friday (Feb. 18), Ye posted that as of 11:09 a.m. PST he had sold more than 6,200 Stem devices in the past 24 hours, with sales totaling over $1.3 million. “Thats faster than I’ve ever sold any T shirt. God has a plan. New frontier,” Ye wrote of the sales figures. “Everyone that is supporting our revolution is changing the game for all artist. We no longer have to bow to people who don’t even truly care about music. I feel like I’m back at SOB’s performing Jesus Walks.”

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At the time of the post, according to the report Ye shared online, he had sold 39,500 Stem Players to date — for a total net sales topping $8.6 million.

Ye also took the opportunity to contextualize these sales with respect to an alleged $100 million deal he turned down from Apple Music to release Donda 2 exclusively on the platform. During a screening of his Netflix documentary Jeen-Yuhs last weekend, the rapper claimed that the service offered him $100 million for exclusive Donda 2 streaming rights. “I got offered $100 million by [Apple Music’s] Larry Jackson to put Donda on Apple, but I ain’t never got a meeting with Tim Cook,” he said at the event. “So it ain’t about the money, it’s about our power and our respect collectively.”

In his post Friday, Ye referenced how “Song Writers have been really hurt by streaming platforms,” presumably in reference to the contentious Copyright Royalty Board dispute between publishers and streaming services over higher songwriter streaming royalties (which are currently less than a quarter of what recording artists earn). “Some say I’m the only one who can make this change,” Ye continued. “So as the leading innovator in music of the past 20 years. I’m putting my own work on the line to change it. I’ve already won by not being afraid to move. Now we’re winning because there are true supporters that have invested their hard earned money in my vision of freedom. I love and appreciate everyone who believes my promise of creating a brighter future.”

Donda 2 is slated for release on Feb.22. The album will be presented during a special event at Miami’s LoanDepot Park stadium the same day.

In a later Instagram post, Ye also alluded to the Apple deal, or possibly another one specifically for next Tuesday’s planned Donda 2 livestream event that was revoked, sharing a screengrab announcing the sponsorship deal was off — with the implication being it was canceled after his announcement Thursday about his plans to release the album exclusively on the Stem Player. He followed that post with another text exchange that appeared to be with Randy Phillips, the touring exec who now oversees Ye’s event production, who said they needed $2 million in 15 minutes, writing, “This show needs to be filmed!!!”

“OK,” Ye responded. “I’ll cut the check since apple pulled on their streaming deal.”

Apple Music did not immediately respond to Billboard’s request for comment.

Ye weathered a barrage of criticism from fans on social media after he revealed the Donda 2 streaming released strategy, with many taking exception to the Stem Player’s steep $200 price point and others calling the rapper out for failing to inform fans that the album could be streamed for free on the Stem Player website and app. In making the original announcement, the rapper attempted to justify the unorthodox rollout by criticizing streaming services’ low royalty payouts, writing, “Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own.”

This isn’t the first time Ye has announced an exclusive streaming release. In 2016, he released his The Life of Pablo album as an exclusive on Tidal, where he was a founding shareholder. It was released on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms just two months later.

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