The Stem Player, which was launched in August 2021, was developed using Yeezy Tech and Kano Computing. The device borrows from the features of the Roden Crater, a land art project by James Turrell. Ye had always admired Turrell's works. In the previous year, Turrell even gifted the billionaire a new home, following Ye's interview with GQ where he said he wanted "to live in a Turrell."

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Now, the Stem Players takes on the form of the crater, with a flesh-like colour and texture that's soft, moreover likened to a stress ball, and the size of a pebble (2.5 inches). In front are four light strips that are basically sensitive LED sliders.

It has 8 gigabytes of storage space, a 97dB speaker, USB-C power and data, haptics, anti-static coating, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, you can use Bluetooth to connect it with speakers, wireless headphones, or whathaveyou by pressing and holding the '-' and '+' buttons.

The device supports the following media types:

• .AIFF
• .AIF
• .FLAC
• .M4A
• .MP3
• .WAV
• .WAVE
• .AAC
• .ALAC
• .MP4

You can also use midi by connecting the Stem Player to your computer using a USB.

You'll also be able to update content and software when needed.

Listeners, and aspiring producers alike, will love the Stem Player as it's been described as a tiny mixing desk you can carry around.

The four touch-sensitive LED sliders—known as stems—control four different parts of a song: the vocals, drums, bass, and samples. You can isolate these parts however you like. For instance, you can slide down the vocal stem to only listen to the drums, bass, and samples.

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You may even make it into your own version by adding more effects, changing the tempo and pitch, or even creating loops. There's also a fast forward and reverse button. You may even use playback to hear what you've finished making before saving and downloading your mixes.

If you're done playing around with Ye's tracks, you can upload different songs to the device to try out as well as it's designed to split any song into stems.

Many might scoff at the billionaire's attempt at selling an "overpriced" device, but many should also be talking about Ye's intention—song ownership—which artists like Taylor Swift herself has also fought for.

Ye claimed to have refused a US$100 million deal from Apple.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, he made sure everyone knew why. He said, "We set our own price for our art. Tech companies made music practically free so if you don’t do merch sneakers and tours you don’t eat."

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He continued on another deleted post, "Today artists get just 12 [per cent] 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."

This is Ye's way of owning his music, and the Stem Player is made with the same intentions.

As CEO of Kano, Alex Klein, puts it: "[I]t's your music, your way."

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