Kanye’s Frustration Unleashed

Kanye West, the artist known for his bold statements and even bolder fashion choices, aired his grievances with the paparazzi recently. Upon arriving at Miami International Airport, a camera crew caught Kanye expressing dissatisfaction over how paparazzi profit while he sees none of it. He quipped, “It’s just really one-sided. You guys can follow us… You don’t give us any percentage of what you make off us, off our kids. And I’m going to change that.” That’s Kanye for you, always on a mission to disrupt the status quo.

Camera Crew’s Response

In a classic back-and-forth, the cameraman defended the practice, claiming, “Without candid photography, there wouldn’t be a [documented] history of celebrities.” This is true—imagine a world without celebrity scandal photos! However, one might argue, how much of that history should come at the expense of the celebrities themselves?

Rethinking Celebrity Royalties

Kanye’s main concern revolved around securing his slice of the financial pie when it comes to the use of his likeness. He succinctly put it, “You know, NFT people get paid in perpetuity on the product that they put out. So my image is a part of something that I should get paid for.” Sounds simple, right? In the world of NFTs, creators can receive up to 10% in royalties with each sale of their digital art. However, can the same system be applied to photographs taken by paparazzi?

The NFT Dilemma

Navigating profit-sharing on celebrity photos via NFT platforms brings up more questions than answers. One significant hurdle is that major NFT platforms rarely share or uphold one another’s royalty structures. This means that if you’ve sold your NFT on OpenSea, don’t expect to see anything from a subsequent sale on another platform. And don’t forget—copyright issues will require a negotiation process as complicated as assembling IKEA furniture, without the handy instructions.

The Bigger Picture

So, what’s the takeaway from Kanye’s airport encounter? Perhaps celebrities are ready to take a stand regarding how their images are used and sold. With the rise of digital assets and royalties in the creative space, it could spark a wave of change. Or, at the very least, we’ll see more discussions—after all, even a celebrity needs to pay the bills. But who knows? Maybe Kanye’s next big venture will be negotiating royalties with the paparazzi, and wouldn’t that be a sight to see?