Kanye West (Splashnews)
Kanye West is driving Island Def Jam executives “crazy” with last-minute changes, a new producer and legal issues over his new album, “Yeezus.”
Sources exclusively tell us that last week — just two weeks before the album drops — West brought in legendary producer Rick Rubin to help lay down additional tracks for the record, and Def Jam execs spent the week haggling over rights for a vocal he used on his song “Onsite.”
“Even by Kanye West standards, this is pushing it,” said a music industry source.
Page Six reported last week that after months spent in Paris recording, West was still working in the studio after early releases got mixed reviews.
We hear that Rubin, the co-founder of Def Jam Records, was brought in to help West finish the album. Rubin will be listed as executive producer, sources said.
Def Jam executives haggled over rights to West’s racy song “Onsite,” where the rapper samples an old vocal track from kids in a Chicago church choir. We hear lawyers last week had to track down the choir director and members of the Holy Name of Mary Church choir on the South Side of Chicago to get clearance for the vocals.
Def Jam label chiefs were so worried about whether they would get rights to the track, producers re-recorded the vocals with a different choir to be used in case they couldn’t nail down an agreement with the Holy Name crew in time.
By the end of the day Friday, we’re told, West decided to use the new recording with the other choir just to be safe.
West headlined the Governors Ball Music Festival on Randalls Island yesterday. His rep didn’t get back to us.
When we called the Chicago Holy Name church, a receptionist told us the choir director would call us back — but no one did.
West celebrated his birthday on Saturday night at Miss Lily’s in Greenwich Village with Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Nas. Kim Kardashian was not able to attend because she can no longer fly ahead of her due date next month.