Ozzy Osbourne has an urgent PSA. According to the 75-year-old rocker, his music was recently sampled by Kanye West without his approval — and he wants no part in it.
In an all-caps Instagram post Friday (Feb. 9), Osbourne cut right to the chase. “@KAYNEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A [SECTION] OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF ‘WAR PIG’ FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS,” he wrote.
The rocker continued to say that Ye was “REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY.”
“HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM LISTENING PARTY LAST NIGHT,” Osbourne added. “I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN!”
The listening party in question went down Thursday night (Feb. 8) at Chicago’s United Center along with the release of “Talking / Once Again,” Ye’s single with Ty Dolla $ign featuring the “Donda” rapper’s 10-year-old daughter North. His much-delayed album Vultures was scheduled to drop the following day; however, there was no sign of the project on streaming services at press time.
Osbourne’s claims come more than a year after Ye’s initial controversies involving antisemitism and the slogan “White Lives Matter,” which led to his dismissal from many of his lucrative business partnerships and caused him to lose his billionaire status. In December, he extended an apology to the Jewish community for “any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions.”
“It was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
Billboard has reached out to West’s reps for comment.
See Osbourne’s post below:
