He delivered a now-familiar free-associative rant that touched on such topics as mind control, social media, "positive energy" and what he described as a request to be released from his contract with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, via a proposed buyback of his rights.

"I went to go buy my publishing from Sony/ATV and they said, 'It's $US8 million ($A11 million) [or] $US9 million' and when I went to buy it, they told me 'No,' I couldn't buy my publishing," he said.

"I have the money to buy [back] my publishing," West continued. "And they told me that I couldn't buy my publishing.... It's like the control."

A rep for Sony/ATV did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment.

West presumably knowingly signed his original contract, which outlined terms of the deal in detail.

While terms of his deal are not public, music publishing deals typically do not allow artists to simply buy back their publishing whenever they want.

West, who met with President Donald Trump in a bizarre public press conference of sorts last week, also said he is currently in Africa working on his delayed Yandhi album.

Australian Associated Press