Netflix is getting ready to drop its documentary on Kanye West, and the rapper wants the final say-so on the project before it hits the platform.
On Friday, the rapper demanded access to the editing room to approve the final cut of the upcoming documentary on his life.
The project is being directed by Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah and is expected to premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which takes place online later this month.
“Jeen-Yuhs” is a Kanye Trilogy that tracks the life and career of the rapper over two decades with behind-the-scenes footage of his earlier life as a rapper and his transition to a businessman in the fashion world to now a billionaire and global brand.
The documentary also features sensitive moments of his life, including dealing with the death of his mother and his race for President of the United States in 2020.
Kanye West, however, alluded to the editing process by Netflix, hinting that he has not had the final say and demanded that he be included.
“I’m going to say this kindly for the last time. I must get final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix,” West wrote in a statement on Instagram. “Open the edit room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image. Thank you in advance,” he posted with a smiling face on his Instagram account.
Earlier this week, Variety reported that the Simmons and Ozah said the final cut of the three-part documentary was ready. They did not say whether Kanye had any hand in it although Kanye is known to be involved in creative processes that involve his image, particularly as he goes through a sensitive part of his life as he and his wife Kim Kardashian officially divorce.
“I said, ‘Dude, you have to trust me.’ And he did, 100%,” Simmons said about getting the final cut. “Mind you, when his team and the business-people have gotten involved, they’re of course going to have their say. But I needed to tell this story. It’s not about making Kanye likable or not. The footage doesn’t lie. What makes the film special is that it’s not something definitive; it’s his journey through my vision.”
The documentary will air Sundance on Jan. 23 and will begin streaming on Netflix in February.
