Kanye West and his touring company are suing various syndicates at Lloyd’s for $10mn in a claims dispute over cancelled tour dates, according to reports.

West cancelled the final 21 tour dates of his Saint Pablo tour after he fell ill in November 2016.

According to California court documents obtained by news outlet The Hollywood Reporter, West's lawyers accuse the syndicates of refusing to pay a valid claim.

The suit notes that the insurers have yet to "[provide] anything approaching a coherent explanation about why they have not paid, or any indication if they will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that Kanye's use of marijuana may provide them with the basis to deny the claim".

The claim became acrimonious when lawyers were immediately drafted in to oversee the claims process, rather than loss adjusters.

"Immediately turning to legal counsel made it clear that the defendants' goal was to hunt for any ostensible excuse, no matter how fanciful, to deny coverage or to manoeuvre themselves into a position of trying to negotiate a discount on the loss payment," the document noted.

The suit attacked the insurers for collecting "bounteous" premiums and criticised the claims investigations process.

"The artists think they they're buying peace of mind. The insurers know they're just selling a ticket to the courthouse," it said.