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Kanye West sued by performer who says he faced ‘abusive conditions’ working on rapper’s biblical opera
Performer Chase Taylor has sued Kanye West, alleging fraud, false imprisonment and unfair business practices during work on West’s 2019 opera “Nebuchadnezzar”. Taylor says the conditions and last-minute demands he describes left him with little time to prepare the show, and he is also seeking rights and a share of profits from songs he says used his work.
Taylor alleges he was flown from North Carolina to Wyoming a week before the performance, then made to rehearse in a locked room at Cody High School until the production was ready for the Hollywood Bowl in four days. He says promised pay and credits were not delivered, and that the opera was described as non-profit despite ticket sales. West’s representative had not responded to a request for comment; another musician has brought a similar lawsuit, while a separate class action over labour violations resulted in a $1.35 million settlement in 2025.
In short
- Chase Taylor has sued Kanye West over work on the 2019 opera.
- Taylor alleges he was locked in a rehearsal room and denied adequate breaks.
- He seeks damages, songwriting rights and a share of profits.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Taylor’s allegations, if substantiated, describe serious concerns about worker treatment, confinement, pay and credit, and whether the production’s commercial nature was represented honestly. The reported settlement in a separate labour case may add context to calls for accountability, while a performer’s ability to seek compensation and recognition for work they say was used is a legitimate interest.
The case against
A fair assessment should distinguish Taylor’s allegations from established findings: West’s representative had not responded, and the reported settlement concerned a separate case. The production may have involved unusual, high-pressure artistic demands, but those would not by themselves establish fraud, unlawful confinement or entitlement to song rights; those questions depend on the evidence, agreements and applicable law.