Kanye West’s Gap-Yeezy Partnership: Hip Hop Music Star Demands A Board Seat

When Gap Inc. (GAP) signed on Kanye West as part of a partnership to bring his Yeezy brand to the masses, it was likely the retailer didn’t know that the rapper was going to demand a seat on the board.

But on Thursday, West tweeted that he was going to withhold the Yeezy line from Gap until he was made part of the company’s board of directors. The tweet from West is the latest in a string of ones where the rapper turned fashion designer has made demands of his retail partners.

Last week West called out Puma and said he would ensure that Adidas and Puma would get back together. In another tweet on Thursday, West demanded to be placed on the board at Adidas, where he said his “first pillar” would be a collaboration with Nike to “support community growth.” He also said he would only be wearing Jordans until his demand was met.

It was unclear at the time of writing if West could force Gap, or even Adidas, to place him on the board by withholding the Yeezy Gap line, which is expected to appear in Gap stores in 2021.

Back in June, Gap announced the partnership with West, saying that it was part of an effort to introduce both brands to new audiences. At the time, Gap anticipated that it could take the “energy” of the Yeezy line and fuse it with its “expertise” to create a synergy that it expected would bring a new set of customers in its stores and online.

Through the partnership, West will develop the new line for Gap that will include “elevated basics for men, women, and kids at accessible price points.” West would maintain sole ownership of the Yeezy label, which was valued at $2.9 billion in April 2020. Gap, for its part, would maintain sole ownership of the Gap brand.

West would also receive royalties and potential equity related to “sales achievement.” The Yeezy footwear line would remain under the Adidas umbrella.

“We are excited to welcome Kanye back to the Gap family as a creative visionary, building on the aesthetic and success of his Yeezy brand and together defining a next-level retail partnership,” Mark Breitbard, global head of Gap Brand, said in a statement at the time.

Shares of Gap were trading at $16.61 as of 1:56 p.m. EDT, up 6 cents or 0.36% while shares of Adidas were trading at $162.68, down $1.74 or 1.06% at the same time.