Kano Computing, the institution that invented the Stem Player to allow fans to listen to and play songs from Kanye West‘s ‘Donda’ albums, has cut ties with the rapper.
Kano’s Stem Player permitted users to exploit songs using the player by separating elements of the compositions and tweaking sounds. Among the features is the capability to split any song into stems, and control vocals, drums, samples, and bass.
Alex Klein, CEO, and co-founder of Kano has stated in a new interview that KANO has had to alienate itself from the artist and entrepreneur in the wake of his statements that have been criticized as anti-Semitic.
Previous month Kanye West promised to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, with whom he claims to have a relationship with Black people (“I actually can’t be Anti-Semitic because Black people are actually Jews also,” Ye noted, before having his Twitter and Instagram account locked.
Kanye West has continually denied that his statements were racist, including stating that he doesn’t acknowledge the phrase “anti-Semitism” he argues that it’s “not factual”.
However, he later showed some sort of apology in an interview with Piers Morgan, stating: “I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’… I feel like I caused hurt and confusion”.
Alex Klein, CEO, and co-founder of Kano, who is half Jewish, told The Los Angeles Times about his dealings with the embattled artist. “[West] tried to call me racist when I gently told him that attacking a whole race of people wasn’t good for him or Stem,” he said.
“I asked Kanye not to take the path he’s on. We’ve told him that we’re unable to work together while he’s putting out racial conspiracy theories. There’s no deal in place.”
Kano’s move follows multiple other companies and figures that have labored with West. Adidas just cut relations with Kanye so have his booking agency and his lawyer. And Hollywood production organization and financiers, MRC, has proclaimed that it will delay a “recently completed” documentary about West.
Luxury fashion company Balenciaga has also cut its ties with the rapper, while a spokesperson for Vogue magazine assured that neither the magazine nor its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, intend to work with him again.
Klein stated that West had proposed to buy out the organization and the rights to the Stem Player after his desire for exclusivity in excluding other artists from the platform was rejected.
The CEO stated that he refused to sell Kano to Kanye West.
Meanwhile, Kano is currently working on a “Ye-free” edition of the device that will be available to all artists. Kano's CEO declared that he wishes the upcoming versions will help “deepen people’s understanding of what they love”.