Ye receives 0% publication on one of his first hits

One of Ye’s first and most recognizable songs in his extensive catalog, which appeared on his 2004 debut album, “The College Dropout,” “Through the Wire” was a hit for the then-young music producer, then known as Kanye West. Since its release, he has earned zero from publishing.

In a recent interview, one of the songwriters of the sample he used, the 1985 Chaka Khan hit “Through the Wire,” David Foster, revealed that during negotiations for the man now known as Ye, when Ye’s team contacted him, he had no problem giving the rising rapper a 50% share of the publishing rights. But the woman who wrote the actual lyrics to the song, Cynthia Weill, nixed that idea and refused to give Ye any percentage.

Foster admitted that “Through the Wire” is the largest sampled song in his catalog.

“He has nothing,” Foster said in the interview. “Funny story about that. I wrote that song with my friend Tom Keane, and the lyrics were written by Cynthia Weil, and then Kanye’s camp said, ‘Hey, we want to use your song on the whole record, and he wants 50 percent of the writing,’ or whatever. I was like, ‘Okay.'”

However, Weill made it clear that she would not give up anything, and her decision stood, so they still own 100% of the publishing rights to the original AND Ye’s version.

Cynthia said, “F**k that.” No, he gets nothing. We still remain the 100% writers.”

Foster admitted that he would have given Ye 50% of the publication.

“I mean, I would have given it to him.”