Kanye Samples “Iron Man” Anyway—After Ozzy Osbourne Denies Permission Over Antisemitism Concerns

Photo Credit: Kevin Burkett / CC by 2.0

Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign have a new album coming and to celebrate the duo hosted a listening party in Chicago. Ye sought permission from Ozzy Osbourne for a sample of “Iron Man” but was denied—he used it anyway. Now Ozzy is speaking out.The new album is called ‘Vultures’ and a listening party was announced on February 5. Tickets to the event at the United Center in Chicago sold out the next day. The album was originally slated to be released on December 15, 2023 but sampling difficulties from Nicki Minaj and apparently Ozzy Osbourne have left the album without an official release date. Ozzy took to social media to decry the use of the sample and to clear the air—saying no permission was given.

“Kanye West asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘Iron Man’ from the U.S. festival without vocals and was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many,” Ozzy said on X/Twitter. “He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!”Sharon Osbourne also chimed in, saying her husband typically does not refuse to clear samples—but made a special occasion to refuse Kanye West’s use of the sample. In speaking with TMZ about the issue, Sharon Osbourne says the couple sent a cease & desist to the rapper after hearing about the sample being used in a live performance.

According to Rolling Stone, Kanye has already removed the sample of “Iron Man” from the album version of “Carnival.” Instead, the song now features a sample of the Kanye song, “Hell Of A Life,” which featured a legally-cleared sample of “Iron Man.”

Following a bout of anti-semitic comments made on social media in 2022, the rapper was subsequently suspended and faced many social repercussions. His lawyers, talent agency, and record label dropped him—while his billion-dollar deal with Adidas imploded. On December 26, 2023 he issued an apology in Hebrew to the Jewish community.

At the listening event for his album, he raps “How I’m antisemitic? I just fucked a Jewish bitch,” and the line “And I’m still crazy, bipolar, antisemite / And I’m still the king.”