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In a shocking lawsuit filed against Kanye West and his former staff chief, Milo Yiannopoulos, allegations of forced labor, inhuman treatment, and racial degradation have come to light. The plaintiffs, including both adult and minor employees, claim they were subjected to brutal work conditions while working on an app to promote Kanye's music.
Kanye and Milo hired an international developer group that included Black members and teenagers. The employees hired, including minors as young as 14, were allegedly placed in a "racist environment with brutal work conditions." They worked abnormally long hours but were not appropriately compensated for their efforts. The team primarily worked remotely, communicating via Zoom, Slack, and Discord.
Milo Yiannopoulos promised the group $120,000 upon app completion if they agreed to harsh work conditions and refrained from complaining. However, the situation deteriorated when Kanye demanded all employees sign non-disclosure agreements, threatening to fire minors and withhold payment if they didn’t comply. Minor developers were also forced to sign “volunteer” agreements.
The Caucasian bosses allegedly used derogatory language, referring to the team as "slaves" and "new slaves." In Spring 2024, Kanye launched the YZYVSN streaming service to rival Tidal, Spotify, and Apple Music, aiming to avoid paying these platforms to promote his albums “Vultures” and “Vultures 2.”
Kanye's wife, Bianca Censori, reportedly sent explicit videos to staff members, including minors. The minors were exposed to explicit content while working on the X-rated app.
On May 1, 2024, after presenting Ye with a completed app, the team claims they were never paid for their work, prompting the lawsuit. The suit accuses Kanye and Milo of "forced labor and cruel inhuman, or degrading treatment," and seeks damages for unpaid wages, overtime pay and emotional distress.
