Kanye West is gearing up for a slate of new releases scheduled for June, if his recent tweets are to be believed, but he'll be doing so without a manager. After managing West for two and a half years, Scooter Braun is parting ways with the hip-hop star as a management client, though the two men’s companies will continue to work together, sources tell Billboard.
The shift was sparked by West’s recent decision to “leave the traditional music business,” a source says, adding that West has told some associates that he wanted to take his whole operation in-house, opting out of retaining a traditional relationship with an outside music manager or lawyer. West invited Braun’s team to work for him full time, but Braun, whose other clients include Justin Bieber, declined, according to sources.
West hasn’t left the traditional music business completely, however: sources confirm he is still signed to a record deal at Def Jam and a publishing deal at Sony/ATV.