Kanye West Allegedly Subjected Contractor To Cruel & Unusual Punishment

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Kanye West Subjected Contractor Cruel Unusual Punishment
Dec 25, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Recording artist Kanye West before the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
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Tony Saxon gave witness testimony in his lawsuit against Kanye West this week for alleged labor violations, injuries, and lack of pay.

Kanye West is no stranger to legal trouble throughout his career, and now Ye is trying to resolve a dispute in civil court. Construction worker Tony Saxon recently testified in court over his lawsuit against Ye for Malibu mansion work, alleging labor violations, injuries, unpaid work, and more.

According to Rolling Stone, Saxon took the stand on Wednesday (February 25). He claimed that Kanye forced him to live at the property around the clock to fulfill a security role he didn't originally sign up for. The contractor claimed that Ye woke him up twice without warning in the middle of the night.

Jurors saw pictures of Saxon's living conditions, which were a small mattress on the floor next to bottled water and Ensure protein drinks. While he said he had a cordial and friendly relationship with the Chicago artist, he said the Yeezy mogul put a lot of pressure and subjected him to unfair working conditions.

Tony Saxon also showed text message exchanges between him and Kanye West, who denies these allegations. He and his legal team instead accused Saxon of sabotaging the project, avoiding being exposed for not having a license, and failing to meet Ye's demands for the demolition of his Malibu mansion and its reconstruction.

Will Kanye West Testify During His Trial?

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Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Rapper/recording artist Kanye West during the Cincinnati Bengals game against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

"Since you’re going to be there so much, running shifts, you should be the security," Kanye West allegedly ordered Tony Saxon. "Stay here now. You can’t leave."

Ye's legal team claims that Saxon worked as an independent contractor, not an employee. On the other hand, Saxon claims the low-key nature of the project was due to Kanye not having permits, not his alleged lack of a license. He also pointed to a back injury he sustained during work on the property, with the defense arguing that no medical record exists proving this. Tony Saxon's lawyer Ron Zambrano admitted his client didn't seek treatment.

Kanye West is also set to testify here, along with his wife Bianca Censori. Censori was allegedly the one to reach out to Saxon. His lawsuit also claims retaliation. The contractor told Rolling Stone a few years ago that Ye called him a "Clinton" and a "Kardashian" for not doing what Ye asked him to do.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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