This is beyond overpriced but I’ll still probably cop it…

Against all odds, ever-controversial rapper Kanye West has actually released Donda 2 into the world, and he’s managed to do so without the endless amount of delays inherent to his album rollouts. But as is always the case with Yeezy, there’s a catch, and this time it’s a biggie, as Donda 2 is only available via his online platform, the Stem Player.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “We’ve been down this road before. Just sign up for a free trial, and cancel your subscription as soon as you’ve listened to the album.” It’s a solid plan and has served us well for past releases like 2016’s The Life of Pablo and 2018’s Ye. But it seems that we’re well and truly out of luck this time, however, as the Stem Player will cost $200.00 USD (and no, I didn’t misplace that decimal point).

As for what the Stem Player actually is, it essentially allows the user to alter the vocals, drums, bass and music of the songs in it through various audio effects and mixing options. It sounds pretty cutting edge, but in reality, it’s nothing new, with the likes of Charli XCX, 100 gecs, Courtney Barnett and more having already used the hi-tech gadget for their past releases (minus the hefty $200 USD price-tag of course).

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Taking to Instagram to explain the move, Yeezy wrote online, “Donda 2 will only be available on my own platform, the Stem Player. Not on Apple Amazon Spotify or YouTube. Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own.”

So far he’s reportedly raked in $2.2 million USD in Stem Player sales, so his strategy seems to be working, regardless of whether it’s a gut-punch to any Yeezy fan low on cash right now. But on the off-chance you’re actually considering shelling out the $200 USD and are desperate for some Donda 2 snippets, you can get a sneak peek of how it works below.