Kanye West’s 2019 opera is back in the spotlight — this time because a singer claims the production came with locked doors, unfinished music and unpaid promises.
Opera singer Chase Taylor has filed a federal lawsuit against West and several associated companies, alleging he was effectively confined inside a Wyoming high school band room while helping prepare Nebuchadnezzar for its Hollywood Bowl debut.
According to the 45-page complaint, filed November 11 in North Carolina, Taylor had accepted a principal singing role expecting to rehearse a completed opera.
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Instead, he says he was given just days to help finish the music and prepare more than 150 performers.
Taylor alleges that after arriving at Cody High School on November 20, 2019, the band room doors were locked and even bathroom breaks required a producer’s approval.
He also describes cramped conditions, inadequate food and limited opportunities to rest.
His duties allegedly grew well beyond singing, including composing, arranging music, directing rehearsals and teaching performers their parts.
The opera premiered at the Hollywood Bowl on November 24, with Sheck Wes playing the Babylonian king.
Taylor also claims he contributed to West’s second opera, Mary, and that his musical work later appeared in recordings and performances without permission or payment. His lawsuit names tracks including Hurricane and Wash Us in the Blood.
He is seeking damages, recognition of his authorship and copyright interests, and a jury trial. The claims also include false imprisonment, fraud and unfair business practices.
The case is not the first legal dispute tied to the production: another musician has filed a separate lawsuit, while a worker class action previously ended in a $1.35 million settlement.
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West’s representatives had not responded to requests for comment reported by Rolling Stone.
