Kanye West has endured a tumultuous past few months. Stemming from his antisemitic bout in October, which cost him brand deals and industry relationships, the 45-year-old hip-hop icon has lost the respect and trust of many fans and music lovers.
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Later this year, though, a new documentary named We Need to Talk About Kanye will debut on U.K. channel BBC. Sharing never-before-seen footage and divulging new insights, the doc will touch on Ye’s journey as a celebrity over the past two decades.
We Need to Talk About Kanye will be produced by Forest, the same production company that put out the 2021 doc The Battle for Britney, an exposé about Brittney Spears’ conservatorship. Just like The Battle for Britney, the upcoming West documentary enlists the help of British investigative journalist Mobeen Azhar. The production has already been picked up by networks in other countries, such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Belgium.
Its executive producers consist of Catey Sexton and Jez Lee, while other producers are Laura Kaye, Jeremy Lee, and Stefan Mattison. Mattison will also direct the project.
On Sunday (April 16), Variety released an interview with one of the producers Jeremey Lee, who gave more background on We Need to Talk About Kanye. Lee explained that the idea for the doc came from West’s 2024 presidential campaign.
“Ye’s recent behavior has prompted both condemnation and a re-evaluation of his place in popular culture,” he said. “With recent events as a starting point, the documentary and accompanying eight-part podcast series explore Ye’s two decades in the public eye amid a rumored YE2024 election campaign.”
Recently, though, a report from Daily Beast published on April 14 suggested that West is no longer planning on running for U.S. president. Instead, he just wants to focus on his new relationship and his school Donda Academy, according to his personal documentarian Adam Camacho.
“Right now, I am living my life,” West told Camacho which he relayed to Daily Beast. “Like I’m concentrating on the school, The Donda Academy, and my new wife, and my kids, and that’s it. I just want to be left alone.”
Additionally, a source who works for West’s company’s Yeezy doubled down on the rumored end of YE2024, per Daily Beast. “His interests are focused on his children, family, and creative endeavors… Anyone that is representing Ye in any political capacity is a charlatan. There is no political shop.”
West’s passion for improving Donda Academy may stem from a recent lawsuit from two of its former teachers. Filed earlier in April, the two women allege that they were paid late or insufficiently at Donda, among many other accusations.
Either way, the team working on We Need to Talk About Kanye will proceed with their plans for the documentary. Lee continued in his conversation with Variety, saying that the audience will learn many new things about West from their film.
“Underpinned with world class journalism and unique access to members of Ye’s inner circle, this is a revelation driven film which sheds new light on recent events,” he said.
Lee confirmed that West is aware of the doc, but has no editorial control of its contents. It’s currently unclear when We Need to Talk About Kanye will release, but it will surely open the eyes of many in the music community.
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