Kanye West has emerged as one of the rare celebrities openly backing Sean “Diddy” Combs during his ongoing sexual assault legal battle (which is not really shocking). This weekend, between posting his typical controversial social media rants, West unveiled a fresh track allegedly featuring Combs, alongside his son Christian “King” Combs, West’s daughter North (age 11), and vocalist Jasmine Williams.
The song, “Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine,” showcases West’s signature production style with beats and synth layers, opening with what appears to be a recorded jail conversation between West and Combs.
“I wanna just thank you so much for just taking care of my kids, man,” a voice seemingly belonging to Combs states. “Ain’t nobody reach out to them, ain’t nobody call them.”
“Absolutely, I love you so much man,” West replies. “You raised me. Even when I ain’t know you, know what I’m saying?”
The track features what sounds like Williams delivering the chorus line “When you see me shining, then you see the light.” Both Combs and North West contribute rap verses.
TMZ reports and West’s shared text screenshots indicate that Kim Kardashian, North’s mother and West’s former spouse, attempted legal action to prevent the song’s release.
Despite West supposedly agreeing not to put out the track, releasing music through X (previously known as Twitter) is unusual and the legal implications remain unclear, especially given the platform’s murky policies since Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover.
Additionally, the track incorporates elements from the Lox’s 1998 song “Money Power Respect,” including a vocal sample from Lil’ Kim. While West has recently released several tracks with unauthorized samples, this usage may face fewer legal hurdles since the original was released through Combs’ Bad Boy Records. However, complications could arise from Combs’ 2023 rights reassignment to former Bad Boy artists, which happened shortly before sexual assault claims surfaced. It remains unknown if the Lox members (Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P) accepted the reassignment terms, which other Bad Boy alumni said included agreements preventing lawsuits against Combs.
Representatives for both Combs and West haven’t yet responded to Variety’s inquiries; TMZ noted Kardashian hasn’t commented.