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Kanye West is being sued by performer Chase Taylor, who has accused the rapper of “multiple unfair and deceptive trade practices.”
The musician described the allegedly “abusive conditions” he worked under while collaborating with West, 49, in 2019 for his “Nebuchadnezzar” opera, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone on Thursday.
Taylor alleged that he flew from North Carolina to Wyoming to rehearse the opera, a week before he was set to take the stage — only to find out the project was not done.
He claimed to have been locked into a band room at Cody High School with other artists to compose music and make the Hollywood Bowl performance “ready in just four days.”
Per the lawsuit, filed in North Carolina on Wednesday, “Defendants locked the door and ordered Taylor to work until the opera was done. To secure Taylor’s compliance, defendants including West promised lucrative compensation, producer credit, and future work.”
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Taylor claimed West’s producer “ignored” his request to “unlock the band room doors, provide sufficient food and water and provide appropriate time off for the musicians to sleep.”
Additionally, Taylor alleged that he was “repeatedly told the operas were non-profit engagements performed for religious purposes,” which he now claims “was a lie” as “West and his co-defendant companies charged attendees for tickets, and, on information and belief, pocketed the profits.”
He is suing for damages for alleged fraud, false imprisonment, and unfair business practices — as well as for copyright ownership and a share of the profits generated by several songs he alleges West released incorporating his compositions and arrangement.
West’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Similarly, musician Willie Alexander sued West in Los Angeles last year over negligent and intentional misrepresentation, misappropriation of his likeness, and false promises that induced him to provide professional services at a reduced rate.
He also claimed to have traveled to Wyoming and been “shocked to discover that the opera had not been written at all,” at which point he was allegedly “required to compose and arrange the opera, largely from scratch.”
The case is pending in the Los Angeles Superior Court, with a settlement conference scheduled for January.
West also has a settlement hearing in December regarding the class-action lawsuit brought against him in the summer of 2020 over labor violations, misclassification, unpaid wages, lack of breaks and working conditions.
Hundreds of performers and other workers were granted a $1.35 million settlement in 2025.
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