Why Isn't Kanye West on the '12-12-12' Concert Album?

Here’s an interesting fact: Kanye West is the only artist who performed at the extremely successful Hurricane Sandy benefit concert in Madison Square Garden on December 12 that isn’t included on the accompanying live album. Why, though? Well, the folks over at Billboard are trying to figure that out, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer yet. One source informed them that it was West’s decision; two others elaborated on that, explaining that he may not have been satisfied enough with his performance to have it included on the 12-12-12 album, which currently sits at No. 1 atop the iTunes Top Albums chart. They also speculated a less likely option, that of clearance issues with the numerous audio samples West included in his performance. Maybe we’ll get the real answer eventually. But regardless, it doesn’t really matter. The event has already raised over $50 million for Hurricane Sandy relief and is being called “the largest concert event to ever hit the stage at Madison Square Garden.” West is a part of history yet again.