stem player

Kanye West recently released Donda 2 for the world to consume through the Stem Player but his decision to release the album through his Stem Player disqualifies him from the Billboard charts.

New Album On Stem Player

Kanye had decided to put Donda 2 on his Stem Player device. This also means that you can’t find Donda 2 on any streaming service. To get the album, you must buy the $200 streaming device. You can download the album after buying the device.

Currently, this is the only way to listen to Ye’s new album. He first released four tracks of the album and then he released 12 more songs. It is unknown if Kanye will release more tracks but as of know the 16 tracks are available for owners of the Stem Player. This is clever way of releasing an album, though, unfortunately it’s also against the Billboard charts eligibility requirements.

Kanye West
Credit: Getty Image

Why This Disqualifies Ye?

The Billboard charts will also no longer count album’s that are bundled with merchandise and concert tickets. Donda 2 falls under that category because you have to purchase the Stem Player in order to get the album. This new rule has been in place for some time. Artist sell merchandise as an add-on to be counted on charts.

The Unique Device

Kanye and Kano Computing joined together and created the Stem Player. The device has gained newfound popularity with the release of Donda 2. The Stem Player allows music to be downloaded on the device giving the controller custom of the music being played. The device can separate the vocals, drums, bass, and sampled into stems. You will have the ability to edit each sound.

Stem Player
Credit: Jay Peters/ The Verge

The design of the device is also simple. The device fits into the palm of your hand like a small skipping stone. On the top of the device are also the controls for the stems. These buttons control loops, direction, speed, and play/pause. The volume, effects, and menu are located on the side of the device. The USB and headphone ports are also on the side.

Xavier “Writer X” Griffin | Facebook @WriterX93 |Twitter @WRITER_X_713

Donda 2 is only days away from dropping. The project will also be the 11th studio album from iconic Chicago artist Ye. Fans have been highly excited about the album since its announcement back in January. However, a recent statement from Ye may put a damper on the much-anticipated drop.

Kanye v. Streaming Services

The most popular music streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL, and YouTube, will not house “Donda 2.” To gain access to the album, fans will also have to buy a $200 Stem Player directly from the rapper.

Artists bumping heads with streaming services is also nothing new. India Arie just recently spoke in protest of Spotify for paying artists a tiny fraction of a penny in exchange for a stream. Regardless, Ye’s approach is highly unconventional. Earlier this week (Feb. 17), Ye posted a video on Instagram of the Stem Player device in action and a caption explaining his decision. Consequently, the internet quickly reacted.

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A post shared by ye (@kanyewest)

“”Donda 2″ will only be available on my own platform, the Stem Player. Not on Apple, Amazon Spotify, or YouTube,” Ye started. “Today, artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own. Go to stemplayer.com now to order.”

The declaration then came with an unnamed track playing in the video. Presumably, this song will then appear on Donda 2.

The Yeezy Stem Player is a music-playing device that came out back in August last year. Its official website also boasts advanced features. Apart from Donda 2 availability, they include “control vocals, drums, bass, and samples, isolate parts, add effects, 4 channel lossless audio mixing, real-time loop, and speed control.”

The Fans Aren’t So Sure About Donda 2 Anymore?

Kanye’s strange decision also garnered a mixed reaction from his intensely loyal fan base. While many weren’t willing to shell out the $200, others maintained respect for West as an artist and defended his choice. As a result, the announcement sparked somewhat of a debate amongst music fans.

i love kanye but $200 for an album is insane

— kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) February 18, 2022

Kanye releasing Donda 2 exclusively further confirms that everything crazy on instagram is 100% album promotion. Essentially he is selling his album for $200 and trying to prove his value as the best marketer in the world. And I would bet anything its gunna sell out

— Danny Sclaf (@SclaffyTaffy) February 18, 2022

Kanye charging $200 for DONDA 2 ??? get ya money but I'm wait on distribution from Zippyshare records.

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) February 18, 2022

Why would you not support this? You’d rather one of your favorite artists continue to get ripped off and not try and do anything about it? If he is successful it could force Spotify to re-examine how poorly they currently compensate artists for streams.

— Adam W (@adamwehib) February 18, 2022

Which side are you on? Do you think Donda 2 is worth the purchase, or will you be sitting out this era of Ye?

Dreema Carrington|IG @dr3amgirl79|Twitter @notdreema