Kanye West is well know for his eccentricities.

So when he went on a Trump-praising, Jay Z-dissing rant in November 2016 during one of his Saint Pablo tour stops, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. His eight-day stay at a Los Angeles psychiatric center for “exhaustion,” however, drew whispers in the music community and shocked fans. The mental breakdown led to a canceled tour and thousands of disappointed fans–and now a $10 million lawsuit.

West’s touring company Very Good Touring filed the lawsuit against Lloyds of London, the firm charged with insuring his tour, alleging that the company is stalling on paying out claims relating to the tour’s cancellation.

A loss claim was filed two days after West was hospitalized at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital Center, but his touring company still hasn’t been paid more than eight months later. The lawsuit alleges that the insurer is trying to blame West’s marijuana usage on the mental breakdown.

“[Lloyds] have neither paid on the multi million dollar claim nor denied the claim,” states the complaint filed Tuesday in a California federal court. “Nor have they provided anything approaching a coherent explanation about why they have not paid, or any indication if they will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that Kanye’s use of marijuana may provide them with a basis to deny the claim and retain the hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums paid by Very Good.”

The lawsuit continues: “The stalling is emblematic of a broader modus operandi of the insurers of never-ending post-claim underwriting where the insurers hunt for some contrived excuse not to pay.”

The tour insurance was expected to guard against non-appearances and cancellations due to unforeseen perils such as illness. According to the lawsuit, an independent medical examination of West by a doctor hand-selected by the insurer’s counsel confirmed that he was “in no condition to resume the tour.”

West’s lawyers also accused the insurers of leaking his personal medical information to the press in the complaint.

“Plaintiff is informed and believes that the ‘planting’ of the Confidential Information with news outlets … was part and parcel of Defendants’ efforts to impair Plaintiff’s rights to the indemnity payments due under the Insurance Policies,” states the complaint, which nods to a non-disclosure agreement between the parties.

West is not suing the three additional insurance companies that insured his Saint Pablo tour, as they have already paid Very Good Touring for the cancellation.

Read the full lawsuit below.

Kanye West Lloyds by gmaddaus on Scribd

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Kanye West Sues Insurer for $10M Over Canceled Saint Pablo Tour appeared first on Law Street.

During a concert Thursday night in San Jose, California, Kanye West stunned fans by announcing he didn’t vote in the presidential election, but if he had, he would have voted for Donald Trump.

“I told you all I didn’t vote right? … But if I were to have voted, I would have voted on Trump,” West said.

“I would’ve voted for Trump” – @kanyewest pic.twitter.com/XtyUteCgUZ

— albertoreyes (@albertoreyes) November 18, 2016

Fans immediately began booing West, and some even began to throw things at him from the crowd.

His announcement came as a huge shock to many, especially since:

1. In 2005, he famously called out then-President George W. Bush after Hurricane Katrina, saying Bush didn’t “care about black people.”
2. His wife, Kim Kardashian West, endorsed Hillary Clinton by posting a selfie with the Democratic hopeful (which included Kanye).
3. As Pitchfork points out, he’s made four contributions to Democratic campaigns since 2012. Not only did he donate to both of Obama’s campaigns, but he also gave $15,000 to the DNC in October 2014 and $2,700 to Hillary for America in July 2015.

However, the two men do have a few things in common. They’re both rich, have huge egos, and are outspoken to a fault.

Here’s an extended clip of his rant.

West defended his viewpoint to the audience, stating:

That don’t mean that I don’t think that Black Lives Matter. That don’t mean that I don’t think that I’m a believer in women’s rights. That don’t mean I don’t believe in gay marriage. That don’t mean that I don’t believe in these things because that was the guy I would’ve voted for.

He also reportedly told the crowd that “neither candidate would fix racism in this country, and that black people need to stop focusing on racism because we live in a racist country.”

People on Twitter immediately began disowning West, frequently mocking him with lyrics modeled after his own song “I Love Kanye.”

I miss the old kanye
The black and bold kanye
The smokin kush kanye
The anti bush kanye
Not donald trump Kanye

— Jon the Don (@big_jon4) November 18, 2016

I miss the old Kanye
The socially woke Kanye
Called Bush a joke Kanye
He used his vote Kanye

— JAY ₆ (@VIEWSFROMJAY) November 18, 2016

Is this a joke kanye
U actin broke kanye
U blowin smoke kanye
I miss the old kanye https://t.co/CKiYttEYBs

— lauren fuentes (@laurenschroed) November 18, 2016

I miss the old Kanye
The black & bold dope Kanye
The anti Bush Woke Kanye
Not Donald Trumps Kanye pic.twitter.com/d8RkGj1oap

— E (@esheikh_) November 18, 2016

“Bush doesn’t care about black people” – Kanye

“There’s racism in the fashion industry” – Kanye

“Stop talking about racism” – Kanye

— Jigga Jeaux (@JoeOnDemand) November 18, 2016

Blu: Daddy, how come people keep saying bad things about Uncle Kanye?
Jay: That’s not your uncle babygirl pic.twitter.com/emCyK4wRF0

— BABY HAIR & AFROS✊ (@NiecysUnknown) November 18, 2016

Kanye West, 2005: president Bush doesn’t care about black people
Kanye to Kanye, 2016: neither do you pic.twitter.com/kBHnZeg7RY

— Jocelyn Aspa (@jocelynaspa) November 18, 2016

It seems pretty crazy that Kanye thinks Donald Trump should be president until you remember that Kanye also thinks Kanye should be president

— . (@browniecdg) November 18, 2016

every single person in the crowd at the kanye concert: please please dont talk ab the election

kanye: i have something to say

crowd: fuck

— Cody Ko (@codyko) November 18, 2016

How I sleep at night knowing I never bought Yeezys pic.twitter.com/s0mKV2MBTH

— PROD. BY @VERYRVRE (@TVSH_P) November 18, 2016

West is no stranger to negative controversies, and likely won’t lose sleep over his comments. Who knows, his Trump outburst may have been a clever publicity stunt given that he plans to “run for president in 2020.” We’ll just have to wait and see.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Kanye West Booed After Saying He Would Have Voted for Trump appeared first on Law Street.

New Kids in Town?

Today, Donald Trump is expected to announce many of his picks for high-ranking positions in his new government. According to the rumors, he will name Michael Flynn as national security adviser, Representative Mike Pompeo as CIA director, and Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general. The pick of Sessions is controversial, as he is known for his hard-line and very conservative views on immigration, same-sex marriage, and marijuana legislation. He was denied a position as a lifetime tenured federal judge in the 1980’s because of his views on race, an inappropriate joke about the KKK, and a series of other incidents.

Trump: I’ll make KKK supporter Jeff Sessions attorney general!!

Trump Supporters: I don’t get why minorities make everything about race.

— America’s Henchman (@TheDailySchmuck) November 18, 2016

Trump voters wanted change, well, you got it. With the appointment of “Jeff Sessions” we’ve changed back the 1950’s, Jim Crow South.

— Kilgore Trout (@CohibaSmkr) November 18, 2016

Pompeo is a former Army officer and was a sharp critic of Hillary Clinton when the whole Benghazi saga was going on. Flynn is a registered Democrat, but he likes Russia a lot and does not like Islam at all. In February he tweeted that it is RATIONAL to be afraid of Muslims.

Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions… https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU

— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: November 18, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

On Sunday night Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her hotel room in Paris; she was there to attend Fashion Week. The robbers, who were wearing masks and were dressed as police officers, stole jewelry totaling $10 million.

Kardashian was staying at a nine-apartment mansion that is often frequented by celebrities like Madonna and Leonardo DiCaprio. Around 2:30 AM on Sunday, the concierge let a couple of men in. They then threatened him with a gun, handcuffed him, and made him take them to Kardashian’s apartment, where they tied her up in the bathroom while holding a gun to her head. After going through her jewelry, they left. Allegedly her stylist managed to alert the real police, who later found the night guard in a staircase with hands and feet bound.

Kim was shaken but physically okay, according to a statement from her spokeswoman. Her children were not in the apartment. She later left Paris on her private jet and flew home to New York.

On Sunday night, her husband Kanye West cut his show at Meadows Music and Arts Festival in New York short with the words “I’m sorry, family emergency, I have to stop the show.” Fans initially reacted with confusion and anger.

Here’s a photo of Kanye West’s show right before it ended. Like everyone was shock it just ended. No reason given, just “family emergency.” pic.twitter.com/y4Rfk5n3h9

— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) October 3, 2016

Last week was not an easy one for Kim Kardashian West. She was the recipient of a prank by internet celebrity prankster Vitalii Sediuk, who tried to kiss her butt when she exited her car. Her bodyguard quickly wrestled him to the ground, but she said she wants to file a report and get a restraining order. Apparently Sediuk was protesting plastic surgery and wanted the Kardashians to promote a more natural look for the millions of young girls who look up to them.

As news of the robbery broke on Monday morning, the internet started reacting not with compassion, but with mockery.

Kim Kardashian gets robbed and the whole world is in an uproar.

Harambe was brutally murdered and the world was silent.

— ædonis | hotep (@lordaedonis) October 3, 2016

Luckily, tweets defending Kim later surfaced on social media, pointing out how bizarre it is to make fun of someone being robbed just because she’s a celebrity.

People making jokes about @KimKardashian tonight would do well to remember that she’s a mother,a daughter,a wife,a friend.Be nice or shut up

— James Corden (@JKCorden) October 3, 2016

Kinda loving @kanyewest for jumping off that stage for his wife… yes sir… love that. Family first.

— Jaime Primak (@JaimePrimak) October 3, 2016

Don’t make memes out of Kim Kardashian being robbed at gunpoint it really isn’t funny. One click and 2 kids could’ve been motherless

— Girls be like… (@girlhoodposts) October 3, 2016

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Kim Kardashian Robbed at Gunpoint in Paris appeared first on Law Street.

The battle between Taylor Swift and Kanye West over his song “Famous” may become a legal one thanks to newly-leaked footage from West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West.

After Kim accused Swift of continuing to “play the victim” on Sunday night’s episode of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” she backed up her claims by finally leaking the videotaped telephone conversation between Kanye and Swift on Snapchat. The footage proves that not only did the “Bad Blood” singer  know about the song before its release, but she approved of its lyrics. However, Kimye may want to hold off celebrating, because that recorded phone call may actually be illegal.

But before we get to all that I’ll do my best to catch up all of you who are struggling to follow along because either (a) you don’t religiously follow all of the Kardashians on social media like me or (b) you somehow forgot about that awkward MTV VMAs seven years ago. Here’s a timeline of the drama:

• September 13, 2009: Feud begins after Kanye grabs the mic from Taylor during her MTV VMA acceptance speech for Best Female Video, declaring Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” should have won.
• 2010-2014: Kanye apologizes, then takes back said apology.
• August 30, 2015: Kanye apologizes for real this time after Taylor presents Kanye with Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs.
• February 11, 2016: Kanye releases a song titled “Famous,” in which he referenced the feud rapping: “For all my Southside n***as that know me best/I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that bitch famous.”
• February 15, 2016: Taylor throws shade at Kanye during her Grammy acceptance speech for Album of the Year saying: “As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.”
• February 17, 2016: Kanye flips out on Taylor’s “fake ass” backstage at SNL.
• June 16, 2016: Kim defends her husband in an interview for GQ, revealing that Kanye called Taylor before the song’s release and discussed it with her. Taylor “thought it was funny” and “gave her blessing.” Kim also claims the whole conversation is on tape thanks to Kanye’s videographers. Yet, in the same article a spokesperson for Taylor denies West’s claim, stating Kanye only called to ask Taylor to promote the song on her Twitter account. Taylor’s lawyers also apparently sent a letter demanding they destroy the footage.
• June 24, 2016: Kanye debuts the music video for “Famous,” which consists of a nude Kim and Kanye in bed, surrounded by nude replicas of several celebrities–with a topless Taylor on Kanye’s right.
• July 17, 2016: After venting about the drama on KUWTK, Kim takes to snapchat to release the footage of Kanye and Taylor’s phone conversation, proving the pair was telling the truth. #KimExposedTaylorParty starts trending on Twitter. Here’s the footage:

PART 1: Kanye calling Taylor Swift to tell her about the #FAMOUS lyrics. Courtesy of KKW. pic.twitter.com/TIiqxxzLUh

— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) July 18, 2016

PART 2: Taylor agreeing to tell the media she was in on the #FAMOUS lyrics from the beginning. : KKW. pic.twitter.com/PbXUnGreas

— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) July 18, 2016

• July 18, 2016: Swift responded to the videos with this note on Twitter:

That moment when Kanye West secretly records your phone call, then Kim posts it on the Internet. pic.twitter.com/4GJqdyykQu

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 18, 2016

Now that you’re all caught up, here’s where the legality of the footage comes in. Did Kanye break the law by filming his conversation with Swift? It depends on the state.

Federal law “permits recording telephone calls and in-person conversations with the consent of at least one of the parties.” This is commonly referred to as “one-party consent.” However, some states require all parties to consent to the recording. These states include: California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

This is where it gets tricky. It’s unclear if Kim and Kanye were in a New York (a one-party consent state) or California (a two-party consent state,) or if Taylor was in Tennessee (a one-party consent state) or somewhere else altogether. In the video Kanye references a Nashville number, but they could simply be talking about an area code.

If two parties are in two different states, the laws in either state, or even federal law, may apply–and California law is strict. Under the California Penal Code, a first-offense for illegal telephone recording can carry a fine of $2,500 or even imprisonment for up to one year.

The California Supreme Court also established a precedent in 2006, ruling in Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney Inc. that if a caller in a one-party state records a conversation with someone in California, that one-party state caller is subject to the stricter of the laws and must have consent from all callers.

So in other words, it’s unclear whether or not Kanye could face face legal charges for recording the call, or if Kim could be on the hook for distributing the recording. It will be interesting to see whether or not Taylor’s team chooses to pursue legal action.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Did Kanye Break the Law By Recording Taylor Swift’s Phone Call? appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:

Kanye West: “Sorry Daytime Television. Sorry for The Realness.”

You all may be thinking, man, here we go again. What did Kanye do now? Known for his 2009 VMA diss of Taylor Swift diss and numerous other social faux pas since then, Kanye sat in on the Ellen DeGeneres Show Show and took everyone on a wild, weird, and touching ride through his mind. Which, by the way, seems like a very scary place because, I mean, the man wore platinum white contacts to the Met Gala. Horrifying! Love him or hate him, he might be one of those misunderstood geniuses, or is that acid?

 Hat Says “America Was Never Great” And People Try to Silence the Hat 

This 22-year-old Home Depot employee is causing quite the stir online after sporting a pretty badass hat that says “America Was Never Great” on it. This, of course, channels a lot of anti-Trump energy and, also not a surprise, ended up pissing some people off. The young woman who wore the cap has since been reprimanded and will not be allowed to wear it to work again. Although, she says, others have been allowed to wear Trump pins and the like.

Photo Of Home Depot Employee Wearing “America Was Never Great” Hat Sparks Outrage https://t.co/tETQhxAQEJ pic.twitter.com/43EFTT6q9A

— Gothamist (@Gothamist) May 19, 2016

Hampden-Sydney College Professor Fired for Trans Bathroom Comments (and Promptly Rehired)

Retired Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin, a professor at Hampden-Sydney College, was terminated from for a comment that he claims sent the LGBT community on a mission against him. The comment:

…the first man who goes in the restroom with my daughter will not have to worry about surgery.

This quickly created a war of words between conservatives and liberals over PC culture and freedom of speech. Boykin was reportedly fired on Tuesday and released a statement on Facebook saying he did not agree with transgender bathroom policies and feared that “perverts” would take advantage of them. But the ensuing conservative backlash may have gotten its way in the end, as the college ended up reversing its decision and renewed Boykin’s contract. 

The  Apprentice: Trump Wanted to Do a Season That Separated Teams By Race

Several years ago, Donald Trump proposed a season of “The Apprentice” where successful black entrepreneurs compete with successful whites. While Trump acknowledged that the idea was “fairly controversial” and would be “reflective of our very vicious world,” it was not well received–at all! And so have many of Trump’s ideas since then. This is our presumptive Republican nominee, everyone, and it may be too late.

So What? Blake Lively Got Cake Topped with a Bit of 90210

We can all agree that Blake Lively is pretty hot. Most people on television are. The Gossip Girl veteran and new mother caused quite a bit of social media outrage this week after she posted an IG pic of herself captioned: “L.A. Face With an Oakland Booty.” A lot of people are saying she’s racist–appropriating features that aren’t her own. But maybe we should cut Lively some slack and let the woman celebrate her body.

L.A. face with an Oakland booty
A photo posted by Blake Lively (@blakelively) on May 17, 2016 at 5:04pm PDT

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: May 20, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

Trying to get an artist’s latest album nowadays is like playing a game of musical chairs with streaming music services’ subscriptions.

For example if you want Taylor Swift’s 1989 album, forget about trying to stream it on Spotify, you need to head over to Apple Music in order to “Shake it Off.” Now let’s say you then wanted to watch Rihanna’s pre-release of her latest “Kiss it Better” music video or wanted to anxiously stalk Beyoncé’s highly awaited album release, well then you’d need a subscription to her hubby Jay Z’s subscription service Tidal.

The promise of exclusivity from these sites/apps is so powerful in fact, that it has managed to convince many money-conscious millennials to forego their beloved free versions, for monthly paid access.

So when Kanye declared to consumers that his 7th solo studio album would appear exclusively on Tidal, some Yeezy fans shelled out the $9.99 monthly fee no questions asked, and easily doubled Tidal’s subscribers from 1 million to 2.5 million almost overnight.

My album will never never never be on Apple. And it will never be for sale… You can only get it on Tidal.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

Tidal quickly became the most downloaded app in the App Store, and Tidal reported that the album was streamed 250 million times in the first 10 days of its release.

The only problem is, “The Life of Pablo” didn’t actually stay exclusive to Tidal. A couple weeks after its debut, the album appeared on Apple Music,  Spotify, and then finally West’s website–and Tidal subscribers took notice.

One California man is so angry that he’s filed a class action lawsuit against both Kanye and Tidal. Justin Baker-Rhett alleges that Tidal used its one month free trial and West’s “exclusive” album to boost sales for the service the he says was “quietly teetering on the brink of collapse.”

“Kanye has the power to send one tweet out into the world and get 2 million people to act on it. This suit is about holding him accountable when he abuses that power,” said Jay Edelson, the founder and CEO of Baker-Rhett’s law firm Edelson PC, in a statement to Rolling Stone.

The lawsuit is asking that Tidal delete the “private information” of both Baker-Rhett and anyone else that joins with the class action suit, claiming that they swindled subscriber’s card information could amount to as much as $84 million for Tidal.

So far neither Tidal, nor West have released public statements addressing the lawsuit’s allegations that they tricked fans into subscribing.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Did Kanye West Trick Fans Into Signing Up for Tidal? appeared first on Law Street.

There was a lot of variety in the top stories on Law Street last week. A Kentucky representative’s ironic attempt to curb Viagra use took the top spot, followed by Taylor Swift’s feminist Grammy speech that called out Kanye West. The last spot went to an issue brief analyzing Justice Antonin Scalia’s death and the potential impacts on the Supreme Court. Check out each of these top stories below:

1. Permission Slips for Viagra? Kentucky Rep. Gives Men a Taste of Their Own Medicine

In an attempt to match some of the sexist legislation that’s been passed in state legislatures lately, a Kentucky state representative has drafted a bill to create several new hoops for men to jump through in order to purchase drugs that treat erectile dysfunction. .

2. Taylor Swift Takes Feminist Stance Against Kanye West

It would be easy to brush all this off as a publicity stunt to draw attention to his album release, but this is not the first time Kanye has attempted to undermine Taylor Swift’s success. Read the full article here.

3. What Does Antonin Scalia’s Death Mean for the Supreme Court?

The world was rocked by the death of 79-year-old Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday, February 13, 2016. Scalia, the longest-serving justice on the current bench, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan on June 17, 1986 following the resignation of Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. His three decades on the Court have proven to be legendary and exceptionally influential in the interpretation of law and the Constitution. Read the full article here.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Anyone who has been on social media during the past couple of weeks has seen the slow descent of Kanye West into what we can only call apparent madness. From his eloquent assertion that Bill Cosby is, in fact, innocent (despite over 50 public accusations of sexual assault):

BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 9, 2016

To his admission that he is millions of dollars in debt, and the request that billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg bail him out:

I write this to you my brothers while still 53 million dollars in personal debt… Please pray we overcome… This is my true heart…

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 14, 2016

Mark Zuckerberg invest 1 billion dollars into Kanye West ideas

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 14, 2016

Then, of course, we have the lyrics in one of his songs on the newly released album “The Life of Pablo,” which are allegedly about Taylor Swift: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / I made that bitch famous.”

It would be easy to brush all this off as a publicity stunt to draw attention to his album release, but this is not the first time Kanye has attempted to undermine Taylor Swift’s success. Let’s all flashback to the 2009 VMAs when he interrupted Taylor’s acceptance speech to tell the audience that Beyonce probably should have won.

T-Swift has reacted with humor and grace to most of Kanye’s gaffes, but even she had to take a stand against the misogynistic and disrespectful tone of this last attack. A representative of Swift said she was unaware of the lyric before the song was released, and did not by any means approve it.

While friends and supporters of Swift took to social media with their criticisms of Kanye’s misogyny, Swift used her Album of the Year Grammy win as a platform to call out Kanye, and on a broader scale, anyone who has attempted to minimize female success.

As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there, there will be people along the way who will try to undercut your success, or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. But if you just focus on the work … you will look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you that put you there. That will be the greatest moment.

This is not an unusual statement for the feminist artist, who has promoted self-acceptance and gender equality more than once on award ceremony stages. This particular feminist speech just has the bonus of shutting down the Cosby-supporting Kanye.

Keep being a fabulous feminist, Taylor.

Watch the moment below:

Morgan McMurray

Morgan McMurray is an editor and gender equality blogger based in Seattle, Washington. A 2013 graduate of Iowa State University, she has a Bachelor of Arts in English, Journalism, and International Studies. She spends her free time writing, reading, teaching dance classes, and binge-watching Netflix. Contact Morgan at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Taylor Swift Takes Feminist Stance Against Kanye West appeared first on Law Street.

Back in August Kanye West shocked the world during the MTV Video Music Awards when he announced a potential 2020 presidential run–admittedly after having “rolled up a little something” before coming onstage. It didn’t take long before “Kanye 4 Prez” merch was being sold on Etsy and Twitter was buzzing with excitement over a possible “Keeping up with the Kardashians” White House edition.

But if Kanye is in fact serious about a potential presidential bid, who better to give him advice than President Obama himself? During a speech at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in San Francisco on Saturday Obama did just that, saying, “I do have advice for him. Just some stuff I picked up along the way.”

Watch Obama’s Advice For Kanye Below:

Here are the highlights:

Tip #1: You must deal with “strange characters”

“First of all, you’ve got to spend a lot of time dealing with some strange characters who behave like they’re on a reality TV show. So you’ve just to be cool with that,” said Obama clearly poking fun at the Kardashians.

Tip #2: Don’t go “off message”

“Saying you have a beautiful dark twisted fantasy–that’s what’s known as an ‘off message’ in politics,” said Obama in reference to Kanye’s fifth Studio album. He added, “You can’t say something like that. There are a lot of people who have lost their congressional seats saying things like that.”

Tip #3: Let’s be real

Obama finished with a little self-deprecating humor for his fellow Chicago native saying, “Do you really think that this country is going to elect a black guy from the south side of Chicago with a funny name to be president of the United States? That is crazy. That’s cray!”

It’s nice to see Obama lightening up a bit during his final year in office. If his speech writers keep this comedy up, fingers crossed for a post-presidency stand up tour.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Obama Gives Kanye West Some Tips For His 2020 Presidential Run appeared first on Law Street.

The Kardashians. Whether you love to hate them, or hate to love them, one thing is for sure–you just can’t stop talking about them. But if you’re tall, beautiful, and coincidentally a model walking in Kanye West’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show you might want to hold off on any K-clan gossiping you have planned, because it could end up being a $10 million mistake.

According to the Mirror, the 38-year-old rapper/designer/T-Swift interrupter required all models in his Yeezy Season 2 show to sign non-disclosure agreements effectively banning them from talking about him, Kim, or any other member of the Kardashian-West family.

Kanye isn’t playing games with Yeezy Season 2: http://t.co/ZHPrh9Aoxo pic.twitter.com/9LD3tRWzsg

— Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) September 16, 2015

According to one Mirror source,

Kanye’s hacked off some really high-profile models by asking them to sign the agreement, particularly because it stated that he could sue them for up to $10 million if they spoke out about him.

Some of the models flat out refused, saying they’d rather not be associated with him and his “media frenzy.” Others reluctantly signed.

This isn’t the first time West or the Kardashians have required their “people” to sign non-disclosure agreements. Take Kim and Kanye’s $12 million Italian wedding, for example. Not wanting to ruin their E! wedding special, all guests in attendance were obligated to sign confidentiality agreements and have their phones confiscated in order to keep their nuptials private and out of the media’s hands.

However, the models weren’t the only ones pissed at West over his NYFW antics–some of his fellow designers, specifically Anna Bowen, were too. Earlier that week Bowen blasted West, calling him “unethical” for forcing her to reschedule her show after he added his last minute to the packed runway schedule. West slated his buzzworthy presentation for the same time as Bowen’s, which pressured her into moving her show or risk no one showing up.

She told Women’s Wear Daily,

Kanye knows he is a media sensation and it is just not ethical to do this. It’s like we are David and he is Goliath. […]

We have put our heart and soul into our show, and should not be stepped on like this. Our show date has been scheduled for months and we have to move our date, which is a logistical nightmare.

So in other words Kanye effectively pissed off NYFW designers and models in one fell swoop. Who knows, the confidentiality agreements may just be a scare tactic. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was just one big tactfully planned publicity stunt by Ye’s camp aimed to bring more eyes to his last minute submission. Conspiracy theories aside, I will admit that it is slightly odd to see a family that has amassed so much of their wealth by living in the public eye try to retain anything private.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Kanye Threatens to Sue Models if They Talk About Him or Kim During NYFW appeared first on Law Street.

ICYMI, here are Law Street’s top stories of the week. The number one story involves Ellen Page and Ted Cruz battling over gay rights in Iowa. The number two story covered two reporters who were shot by a disgruntled former coworker in Virginia. Finally, number three involved Kanye West’s declaration of presidency for 2020. Check out all three below:

#1 Ted Cruz vs. Ellen Page: Argument Over Religious Freedom and LGBTQ Rights

Republican Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz got into a back-and-forth with actress and LGBTQ rights advocate Ellen Page on Friday. She confronted him at a barbecue he was hosting before a religious freedom rally in Iowa as part of a show she’s working on with Vice. Page was clad in a hat and oversize sunglasses, so Cruz clearly didn’t recognize her as the actress who starred in hits like “Inception” and “Juno.” Read the full story here.

#2 Disgruntled Employee Kills Virginia Reporter and Cameraman on Live TV

A television reporter and cameraman were shot dead during a live news broadcast for WDBJ-TV, a Roanoke-Lynchburg CBS affiliate, this morning in Moneta, Virginia. Alison Parker, 24, and photojournalist Adam Ward, 27 were in the middle of filming a segment on tourism at the Bridgewater Plaza when several shots rang out at 6:45 am. Read the full story here.

#3 Is Kanye West Really Running for President?

Last night’s MTV Video Music Awards went much like you’d expect. Miley attempted to shock viewers with nipple skimming outfits and weed references, none of the jokes were funny, Taylor Swift won most of the awards, and Kanye managed to steal the show–but this time without stealing a mic from Swift. During a bizarre 11-minute-long acceptance speech for the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Yeezy talked about everything from how fatherhood changed him to fighting for artists…and a possible presidential run in 2020? Read the full story here.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Last night’s MTV Video Music Awards went much like you’d expect. Miley attempted to shock viewers with nipple skimming outfits and weed references, none of the jokes were funny, Taylor Swift won most of the awards, and Kanye managed to steal the show–but this time without stealing a mic from Swift.

During a bizarre 11-minute-long acceptance speech for the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Yeezy talked about everything from how fatherhood changed him to fighting for artists…and a possible presidential run in 2020?

After rambling about “dying for the art” and “millennials’ new mentality” West said,

I don’t know what I finna lose after this. It don’t matter, though; It’s not about me. It’s about ideas. New ideas. People with ideas. People who believe in truth.

And yes, as you probably could’ve guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president.

**[Literally Drops Mic]**

Kanye hasn’t made it clear whether or not he was joking about the potential run, but he did make the announcement after admitting he “rolled up a little something” to knock the edge off before the show.

Watch Kanye’s full speech below:

Regardless of how serious he was, the Kardashian sisters were quick to jump on the “Kanye for President” bandwagon, posting their support on social media.

A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Aug 30, 2015 at 8:00pm PDT

Mr West!!! pic.twitter.com/NuLlx9MnYT — Khloé (@khloekardashian) August 31, 2015

But Kourtney’s tweet was hands down the best.

pic.twitter.com/OdPQ9JlfYD — Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) August 31, 2015

For those of you wondering why 2020, it may be because he and his wife have already endorsed their candidate for 2016.

I got my selfie!!! I really loved hearing her speak & hearing her goals for our country! #HillaryForPresident pic.twitter.com/zGpdcGSZBD — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 7, 2015

But if for some reason he did choose to run this year, I bet Deez Nuts would happily sign on to be his running mate!

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Is Kanye West Really Running For President? appeared first on Law Street.

I don’t know about you, but I had a great Labor Day. My sister Ariel flew up for the weekend, and we stuffed our days full of fun activities like seeing Book of Mormon on Broadway and going to a Yankees vs. Red Sox Game. We laughed, cheered, and created the “Adventures of Stick Figure Amber” – where I drew our annoyingly absentee sister into every single picture and gave her some wacky adventures of her own in an effort to pretend she was there.

Perhaps the highlight of this trip was what we did on Saturday and Sunday: attend Jay Z’s “Made in America” music festival in Philadelphia. We saw tons of great acts – one being Kanye West. (We also saw that in our advanced old age of early-to-late twenties, we were perhaps already too old for this type of event. I’ve never wanted to say “Do your parents know you are here?” more than when I saw all those pre-teens dressed in practically nothing openly drinking and doing drugs. Kids today! But that is straying from the point…)

As Ariel and I danced (rather I jumped up and down like an idiot while Ariel stood still glaring at me with disdain) and people-watched, we had no idea what shameful secrets were brewing just underneath the surface. (That might be an overly dramatic opening to what I am about to write.)

The lawsuit about which I am going to tell you is not really all that funny or even out of the ordinary; however, it is really exciting because it kind of, sort of, on a tangent, not really but I’m counting it deals with an event that I was attending. And that makes it interesting to me if to no one else.

Courtesy of gifsoup.

Did you know that “Made in America” the music festival was named after a Jay Z and Kanye song with the same name? Brooklyn rapper Joel McDonald didn’t. Or rather, he knew it was named after a song with the same title, but he was under the impression that it was his song, not the rap legend duo’s. He came to this conclusion based on the fact that he sang and sold on iTunes this song in 2009, but it was done by Jay Z and West in 2011 — with no mention of McDonald there.

Let’s compare…

McDonald’s song:

Jay Z and Kanye’s song:

Are they the same? McDonald hopes people will think they are close enough, because to celebrate the third annual “Made in America” festival, now located in Los Angeles as well, McDonald sued for $3 million for copyright infringement in Manhattan Supreme Court.

What do you think: Will Jay Z soon be in a little less of an empire state of mind or will McDonald find out that New York isn’t the concrete jungle were dreams are made for everyone? Was Kanye acting more stupidly or did McDonald say something when he gon’ end up apologin’? Will Jay Z…I could go on with these all day.

Ashley Shaw

Ashley Shaw is an Alabama native and current New Jersey resident. A graduate of both Kennesaw State University and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, she spends her free time reading, writing, boxing, horseback riding, playing trivia, flying helicopters, playing sports, and a whole lot else. So maybe she has too much spare time. Contact Ashley at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Lawsuits and Copyright Infringement Made in America appeared first on Law Street.

This post is not about Kanye West but the title was inspired by him. The title, I think, can forevermore be used as a turn of phrase that attempts to express all the rage, exasperation, and downright frustration experienced by young Black men in America. Kanye used it to reference his experience of celebrity — how he felt trapped in a cage, with insensitive, often antagonistic, onlookers. The paparazzi often “tap on the glass” of his cage merely to elicit a reaction. His response to this madness? The admonition: IT’S NOT SAFE FOR YOU IN THIS ZOO.

Well, I don’t want to use this phrase to qualify my experience as a Black man. I’ve had pretty easy sailing most of my life. My family was working class, but I always had food on the table and a roof over my head. I never got into much trouble, and none of my childhood friends were involved in gang violence. However, that’s more than the urban youth of Chicago can say. Those Black and minority boys are portrayed in the media as nearly subhuman. They are demonized and vilified to the point where some cease to care if they continue the violence that has plagued Chicago recently. I’d argue that there is more to the story.

News about the urban violence in Chicago is inescapable. It’s almost a given that Chicago is synonymous with gun violence these days. There is news of raising minimum sentences for repeat offenders who are involved in violent crimes using guns and would require the person to serve no less than 85% of the sentence imposed. I could spend an entire post chronicling the problems with mandatory minimum sentences, but this most recent proposal seems somewhat tempered by a provision that does not compel the minimum sentence for a first-time offender. But will punishing offenders more harshly really act as a deterrent?

Many people’s image of Chicago is influenced by the popular culture. And no, I don’t mean the movie “The Untouchables” or that “Chicago Fire” show full of dusty white men in Fireman’s uniforms. What I mean is the image of Chicago, and Chicago’s Black youth, as exemplified by everyone’s favorite walking, talking dustball, Chief Keef. If you don’t know Mr. Keef, as he is hilariously referred to in some news articles, allow me to introduce him.

Okay so that’s not Chief Keef, but it’s a close representation of the young man. Here’s what he really looks like:

Chief Keef, born Keith Cozart, was born in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago’s now-infamous South Side. Without deriding this young fellow, who happens to be only 18, his music and his media image are indicative of the almost rabidly violent frustrations of the Black youth in Chicago. He has an infant child. He’s had trouble with the law. In 2011, he was apprehended on charges of heroine manufacture. [I couldn’t possibly tell you how to manufacture heroine but then again, I guess you could Google it.] When he once left his home with a jacket covering his hands, and an officer stopped to question him, Mr. Keef (see how silly that sounds?) flashed the gun he was concealing at the officer and then ran away. The officer chased while Keef repeatedly turned around and pointed the gun at the officer. The officer discharged his weapon but never struck the rapper. Keef was eventually sentenced to home confinement.

His music is violent. His image is dangerous. But does that really represent the kid? I don’t think so. I think the rapper is representative of a Black youth culture in poorer parts of Chicago that simply doesn’t see a way out of their circumstances. Kanye once asked “what the summer of the Chi’ got to offer an 18-year-old?” Perhaps quite little. But I also don’t think it isn’t fare to scapegoat much of the violence in inner-city Chicago on a populace that is often caught in the same pressures that lead many others, of all races, to lash out with antisocial behavior. But I think the media portrayal of the city and its ills is almost a self-fulfilling narrative.

My point is that when you treat a group of people like animals, when you dehumanize them and talk about them as if they are a collage of violence, drug use, abuse, and distribution, they are bound to begin thinking that’s the only way to identify themselves. But you know what also happens? Sometimes the animals bite back. Sometimes the very societal pressures they struggle under become too much and they erupt. And I guess that was the point Kanye was making when he said “It’s not safe for you in this zoo.” The very idea of a zoo creates a false sense of calm created by the feeling of control the people have over the animals. We begin to believe that these creatures are at our beck and call. We become complacent with the environment in which we have placed these creatures without thought to the stressors we have put them under. And then someone gets hurt, and we wonder why.

Don’t get me wrong, however. Urban violence is not explained away by someone’s lack of social mobility. But neither is it a symptom of some incurable, violent rage that a subset of Chicago’s youth population has. It is more complex. Chicago is just an extreme example, but similar feelings of frustration erupt in towns all across this country. So lest the media fool you into thinking urban violence is exclusively in Chicago, peer out your window and examine the surroundings in your city. Recognize that when you dehumanize a culture you don’t understand, it might not be safe for you in that zoo.

—

Featured image courtesy of [ClaireUS via Flickr]

Dominic Jones

Dominic Jones is originally from Atlantic City, NJ. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. followed by law school at the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, DC. In his spare time he enjoys art, photography, and documentary films. Contact Dominic at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post It’s Not Safe for You in This Zoo appeared first on Law Street.

We’ve all expected our exes to come running back to us, but not all of us can say it’s with a lawsuit in hand after we’ve won a $338 million Powerball jackpot. This is exactly the case with Pedro Quezada and his ex-girlfriend, Inez Sanchez.

It’s true that Inez Sanchez lacks valid legal claim here, despite the fact that the couple have a child together, were in a relationship for 10 years, and jointly own a business. This is solely because the couple were never married and the laws of equitable distribution do not apply. Also, New Jersey is not a common law marriage jurisdiction.

In common law marriages, you do not necessarily need a marriage license in order to receive all the benefits of having a spouse. As long as you can show that you have treated your significant other in every capacity as a spouse, common law will recognize a common law marriage. Some elements needed to prove this arrangement include financial dependence and shared residence.

Ms. Sanchez’s attorneys are claiming that the ticket was purchased with their shared earnings from the grocery store. Maybe — although, I think that could simply be defeated by the Buckwheat defense.

On a more serious note, Ms. Sanchez attempted to have a judge freeze the lottery winnings while Mr. Quezada’s attorneys attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed entirely. Superior Court Chancery Judge Margaret Mary McVeigh refused to dismiss the lawsuit and denied Ms. Sanchez’s request.

Although Mr. Quezada received approximately $152 million after taxes, Ms. Sanchez’s attorneys claim that he has allegedly begun to dissipate assets by shipping $57 million to the Dominican Republic, spent $300,000 on the Clifton home the two shared together until Ms. Sanchez moved out, given away $5 million (expensive gift!) and there is another $20 million that has yet to be found.

Now although we hope that Mr. Quezada will settle this case amiably with the mother of his child, it is more likely that we will see this case go to trial. Although she lacks valid claims to an equitable share of the winnings, she may have a decent case to readjust the child support payments according to the change in the cost of living, according to the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. Therefore, a child has the right to share in the financial good fortune of a parent.

So if Ms. Sanchez chooses to fight the good fight and attempt to get her equitable share of the $152 million (or whatever is left) of Mr. Quezada’s Powerball winnings, her chances are very slim. However, it is likely that she may be able to amend any current child support payments through a court order or mutual agreement.

Earlier this year, Mr. Quezada paid a $30,000 child support settlement, and Ms. Sanchez filed a domestic violence claim against him. It should be interesting to see how this all turns out.

And of course we can’t finish without Kanye West’s musings on this topic.

—

Rob Anthony is a founding member of Law Street Media. He is a New Yorker, born and raised, and a graduate of New York Law School. In the words of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, “We need to be bold and adventurous in our thinking in order to survive.” Contact Rob at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [401(K) 2012 via Flickr]

Robbin Antony

Rob Antony is a founding member of Law Street Media. He is a New Yorker, born and raised, and a graduate of New York Law School. Contact Rob at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post I Ain’t Sayin’ She’s A Gold Digger… appeared first on Law Street.