Kanye West, along with his former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos, is facing a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. The suit alleges that they created a hostile work environment while managing the YZYVSN streaming service app. This platform, launched by West in spring 2024, was intended to independently promote his albums “Vultures” and “Vultures 2,” bypassing major services like Tidal, Spotify, and Apple Music.
According to TMZ, the lawsuit claims that West and Yiannopoulos employed an international group of developers, including several Black members and minors as young as 14. These employees, who worked remotely via platforms such as Discord, Zoom, and Slack, were reportedly subjected to brutal working conditions, including long hours without pay, racial harassment, and threats.
The management reportedly used derogatory language, referring to team members as “slaves” and “new slaves,” and further degraded them based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and national origin. Additionally, the suit alleges that West’s wife, Bianca Censori, contributed to the toxic environment by sending pornographic videos to staff, which were accessible to minors involved in the project. While Censori is not named as a defendant, her actions are cited as exacerbating the distress experienced by the team.
The developers were initially promised $120,000 upon the app’s completion in April 2024, provided they agreed to the work terms and refrained from complaining. However, the lawsuit claims that this payment was never made, despite the employees fulfilling their obligations. The suit also alleges that employees were coerced into signing non-disclosure agreements and minors were forced to sign “volunteer” agreements under threats of termination and non-payment.
This legal action highlights serious allegations of misconduct and abuse within the YZYVSN project. As the case progresses, it could have significant implications for West and Yiannopoulos, shedding light on the working conditions behind the scenes of their ambitious streaming service venture.
