‘I’m done wearing Adidas products’: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs boycotts Adidas in support of Kanye West after he claimed it ‘stole’ his Yeezy designs
- Yeezy manufacturer Adidas has been accused of designing products under the brand name without West’s direct involvement
- West has received support from Diddy and Swizz Beats amid business dispute
- Diddy said he was ‘done wearing Adidas products until they make this right’
- He added that Adidas has made ‘billions off of our culture’ since the 1980s
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs took to Instagram on Tuesday to show his support for Kanye West amid the musical artist’s ongoing battle with the company Adidas.
‘Since the era of Run-DMC, @Adidas has always used Hip Hop to build its brand and make billions off of our culture,’ Diddy, 52, said in an Instagram post. ‘BUT WE ARE MORE THAN JUST CONSUMERS NOW, WE’RE THE OWNERS. @KanyeWest and YEEZY are the reason Adidas is relevant to culture. WE KNOW OUR VALUE!’
Diddy said he was ‘done wearing Adidas products until they make this right!!’ adding, ‘We have to support each other!! Everybody repost this please!!’
The latest: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 52, took to Instagram on Tuesday to show his support for Kanye West, 45, amid the musical artist’s ongoing battle with the company Adidas
He also included a text exchange with West, 45, in which he told him, ‘Please send me something I could post in support of you. [I’ll] never wear Adidas again for the rest of my life if they don’t make you right!!!!’
West responded, ‘This is the energy this the love’ in response to Diddy’s message.
The German sportswear giant, responsible for manufacturing West’s Yeezy footwear and clothing since its initial launch in 2015, has been accused of designing products under the brand name without his direct involvement.
West believes Adidas has taken full creative control over his Yeezy brand, and stealing his designs by manufacturing footwear bearing a close resemblance to his popular Boost trainers. But he recently hinted at an impasse with his long-term collaborator in a post shared before his lawyers stepped in.
Unified: Diddy also included a text exchange with West in which he told him, ‘Please send me something I could post in support of you’
Supported: West responded, ‘This is the energy this the love’ in response to Diddy’s message
Statement: Diddy also included a graphic of Adidas footwear crossed out amid his boycott
Seeing results? Prior to getting shut down by his legal team, West suggested he had found some satisfaction in his dealing with Adidas
‘I could hear the joy in my teams voices today [sic],’ he wrote in the Apple notes app.
‘Adidas don’t want no more smoke. The move credit’s are rolling. This war wasn’t about money. It was about control of our families. Of our businesses. Of our story. Or our voice [sic],’ he wrote.
West also reposted a comment from his friend, producer Swizz Beatz, who stood up for the controversial rapper.
After Swizz posted a photo of the shoes that West believes ripped off his Yeezy line, which included a red ‘X’ through it, Swizz wrote that it was ‘DEAD WRONG.’
‘If we let them do this to @kanyewest it will happen to us also! This man created this groundbreaking innovation and it should be respected as a creative !’ he wrote,’ adding, ‘@adidas you’re supposed to be original do the correct thing please !!!’
Helping out: Ye reposted a comment from his friend, producer Swizz Beatz, who stood up for the controversial rapper. After Swizz posted a photo of the shoes that West believes ripped off his Yeezy line, which included a red ‘X’ through it, Swizz wrote that it was ‘DEAD WRONG
Standing up: ‘If we let them do this to @kanyewest it will happen to us also! This man created this groundbreaking innovation and it should be respected as a creative !’ he wrote
Solidarity: Kanye included another post with a smiling photo of Swizz, captioning it, ‘This the energy’
Earlier on Monday, West continued his war of words aimed at Adidas executives, as he said he needs to buy his own major shoe company in order to be the chief decision maker.
He shared a text post about wanting to make a major move like Authentic Brands CEO Jamie Salter’s purchase of Reebok from Adidas earlier this year.
He went on to claim that he’s went to JP Morgan to inquire about an acquisition but managing director and vice chairman of investment banking, Jing Ulrich, is on the board of Adidas.
West wrote to his 17 million followers: ‘I need a shoe company like how Jamie Salter bought Reebok or I’ll take over some shoe factories.
Taking a stand: Kanye West (seen in December 2018) has continued his war of words aimed at Adidas executives as he says he needs to buy his own major shoe company in order to be the chief decision maker
Interesting: West took to Instagram earlier Monday morning to share a text post about wanting to make a major move like Authentic Brands CEO Jamie Salter’s purchase of Reebok from Adidas earlier this year
‘I’ve went to JP Morgan but of course they won’t give me no deal flow cause Jin(g) Ulrich is on the board of both Adidas and JP Morgan. What shoe company will give me control. I need to be the head of the board and chief decision maker.’
He captioned the text post with a mention of his late mother Donda West.
The All Of The Lights hitmaker said: ‘My mama was an English professor and I was an English major I know how to speak correct English but I’m here to correct the English.’
Leading the way: Kanye has had a very successful partnership with the Germany based shoe giant with his Adidas Yeezy line which launched in 2015
West has had a very successful partnership with the Germany based shoe giant with his Adidas Yeezy line, which launched in 2015.
This was not the first time West has mentioned executive Jing as the previous day he slammed her and other perceived enemies including Adidas executive Daniel Cherry, Kid Cudi and Pete Davidson.
Directing his furor at Cherry, Adidas’ Senior Vice President/General Manager, he let off a slew of threatening and angry messages.
In one of the posts he shared a doctored image of Cudi and Cherry standing side by side with an Adidas logo pasted on each of their chests.
He joked that ‘I’m sure this pic gonna send adidas stock through the ceiling Your welcome Jing Ulrich who is on the board at adidas and JP Morgan So it makes sense now that when I wanted to sale JP Morgan went silent.’
Taunting: The 45-year-old rapper-turned-designer has publicly declared a feud with Adidas, whom he’s partnered with via his Yeezy empire
Not ok: Directing his furor at Cherry, Adidas’ Senior Vice President/General Manager, he let off a slew of threatening and angry messages
Set against a black background, he typed in all capital white letters, ‘I guarantee you’ll have to relocate before I’m legally finished with you.’
West called the executive a ‘venture capitalist who’s [sic] only adventure is capitalism,’ continuing, ‘Can’t create so they try to out count the creatives. Die slow.’
In a separate but equally upset post he added, ‘F— A VC. NOW WHAT.’
‘Ye’s frustration stems from feeling left out of managing the Yeezy Gap brand he helmed.
Choice words: West called the executive a ‘venture capitalist who’s [sic] only adventure is capitalism,’ continuing, ‘Can’t create so they try to out count the creatives. Die slow’
West had posted and deleted a fake New York Times newspaper that falsely claimed Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted had ‘died’ at 60.
The rapper wrote: ‘I’m not here to be liked I’d you don’t like it leave’ [sic], he said.
Just weeks prior he blasted Kasper for ‘blatant copying’ of his Yeezy slides after Adidas unveiled their Adilette slides.
Last week it was revealed that Kasper is leaving Adidas in 2023, after working with the brand since 2016.
In early August, West posted another fake NY Times newspaper front page announcing the ‘death’ of Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian’s relationship – after they had split.
The latest: Kanye West posted and deleted a fake New York Times newspaper that falsely claimed Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted had ‘died’ at 60
He later reposted it and put a new caption: ‘God loves Us;’ it is still up on his Instagram page.
Last week, Adidas announced Kasper was leaving the company in 2023; he started with the brand in 2016, according to CNBC.
His contract with the company was set to end in 2026; Kasper and Adidas did not elaborate on why he was leaving before the contract ran out.
He will stay in the role until a successor has been appointed.
Yikes: The rapper wrote the caption: ‘I’m not here to be liked I’d you don’t like it leave’ [sic], he said. Just weeks prior, Kanye, 45, blasted Kasper for ‘blatant copying’ of his Yeezy slides after Adidas unveiled their Adilette slides; seen May 22 in NYC
Back: He later reposted it and put a new caption: ‘God loves Us;’ it is still up on his Instagram page
Wow: Soon after, Kanye posted a snap of Daniel Cherry, who is the SVP/General Manager of Adidas
Earlier this month: West fired a direct shot at Kasper, stating, ‘To Kasper I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more;’ Kasper seen March 14, 2018
West and Adidas’ apparel and shoe deal was first announced in December 2013, with the first collection dropping in February 2015.
That line included his first shoe dubbed Yeezy Boosts, which were limited to just 9,000 pairs available only in New York City and sold out in 10 minutes.
Adidas first unveiled their new Adilette slides earlier this month, which will retail at $55, and the 45-year-old rapper is none too happy about it.
Fake Yeezys: Earlier this month, Kanye took to Instagram, blasting the shoe company and CEO Kasper Rorstad for the slides, which he dubbed, ‘fake Yeezys’
Real Yeezys: The real Yeezys slides Kanye West sold through his deal with Adidas
West took to Instagram, blasting the shoe company and CEO Kasper Rorstad for the slides, which he dubbed, ‘fake Yeezys.’
‘THIS IS YE driving down the same street Kobe passed on. Maybe I feel that Mamba spirit right now,’ West began, possibly hinting his deal with Adidas is coming to an end.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant signed a six-year deal with Adidas before he was drafted straight out high school in 1996, but Bryant bought himself out of his Adidas contract in 2002.
After waiting a whole year as part of his opt-out clause, he signed a new deal with Nike in 2003, where he remained for the rest of his career.
It’s unclear if Adidas or Rorstad plan on responding publicly to West’s post, though they have stuck by his side in the past.
Hint: ‘THIS IS YE driving down the same street Kobe passed on. Maybe I feel that Mamba spirit right now,’ West began, possibly hinting his deal with Adidas is coming to an end
Disrespect: ‘These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent. This shoe is a fake Yeezy made by adidas themselves I’m not talking to DC about this either Kasper come talk to me. Happy Monday,’ West concluded
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