Kanye West Drops Song With North West and Diddy—Against Kim Kardashian's Request
A new dispute between Kanye West and ex-wife Kim Kardashian appears to be brewing.
The rap producer released a new song by Sean "Diddy" Combs—to whom he has showed support in the wake of the Bad Boy Records founder's ongoing sex trafficking case—titled "Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine." The track, dropped on X March 15 and deleted one day later, features North West, 11, Ye and the Kardashians star's eldest daughter.
Kanye says Kim tried to block the track's release. Another since-deleted X post Kanye also reportedly shared shows an apparent text conversation with Kim, who allegedly wrote that she "sent paper work over so she wouldn't be in the Diddy song to protect her," and acknowledged trademarking North's name at birth.
"I asked u at the time if I can trademark her name," another text allegedly from the SKIMS founder reads. "You said yes. When she's 18 it goes to her. So stop."
Kanye allegedly responded to Kim, whose family regularly trademarks their and their kids' names, "Amend it or I'm going to war. And neither of us will recover from the public fallout. You're going to have to kill me."
E! News has reached out to Kim's rep for comment and has not heard back.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the situation, TMZ reported that the SKKN by Kim founder sent out cease and desist letters to Ye over the song and that an emergency hearing with a mediator and a judge was held. Kanye did not join it, but did allegedly promise not to drop the track, the outlet said.
Hours after releasing the song, which Ye said also features Combs' son Christian "King" Combs, 26, and musician Jasmine Williams, the rap artist demanded more input into the lives of his and Kim's children—North, Saint West, 9, Chicago West, 7, and Psalm West, 5.
"I don't want to just 'see' my kids," Kanye, whose divorce from his ex was finalized in 2022 after eight years of marriage, wrote on X. "I need to raise them."
Kanye, who has been helping North produce her debut album, has occasionally used social media to air his grievances over arrangements involving his and Kim's kids. In recent months, he has also used it increasingly to praise late Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and share pics of swastikas and other anti-Semitic content.
In February, he took to X to express support for Combs, who is awaiting a May trial on sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and other charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
"FREE PUFF," Kanye wrote Feb. 6, referring to one of Combs' former stage names, before adding in a separate message, "PUFF WE LOVE YOU."
By Corinne Heller
