Here’s Why Kanye Dropped A Nike Diss Track

For Kanye West, dropping singles is becoming a New Year's Eve tradition. Like he did with "Only One" in 2014, West released new track "Facts" on SoundCloud just hours before 2016. The release wasn't a complete surprise, as Kim Kardashian West began hyping anticipation on Twitter.

What may stun some are the "facts" West released. Unlike the sweetly sentimental "Only One," "Facts" is a straight-up diss track with a seemingly unlikely target: Nike. "Nike, Nike treat employees just like slaves," he riffs. "Gave LeBron a billi' not to run away." But West's beef with the activewear giant isn't out of the blue. In 2013, Yeezy severed his creative partnership with Nike, alleging the company didn't pay him high enough royalties for his Air Yeezys, and postponed release of his Red Octobers lace-ups, Spin reported. He even directly addressed Nike CEO Mark Parker during an especially boastful interview, declaring himself "the number-one most impactful artist of our generation, in the flesh." Or, in plain-speak: Your loss, Nike. "Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy, they line up for days," West raps early on in "Facts," referencing his Yeezy Boost collaboration with Adidas. "Nike out here bad, they can't give shit away." After jumping ship from the swoosh, West quickly hopped aboard with Adidas, and released six Adidas Yeezy Boost sneakers in 2015. The most recent Boosts, which went on sale December 29, instantly sold out, and Footwear News declared Yeezy Boosts its Shoe of the Year. So maybe Kanye really does have his "Facts" straight. Judge for yourself, below.