Kanye Omari West may soon be no more.
The eclectic rapper has filed court documents to legally change his name to Ye. In Sept. 2018, West previewed the new moniker on Twitter, where he wrote, “the being formally known as Kanye West. I am YE.”
The tweet started circulating again on Tuesday night as the official name change filing was announced.
A judge, however, must sign off on the name-change motion, which West said he filed for personal reasons. According to TMZ, unless there is evidence that a name change is intended for fraud, most petitions are approved.
The 44-year-old West told radio host Big Boy in 2018 that his name change is more than an abbreviation; it also has religious significance for him.
“I believe ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means ‘you,'” West said, talking about his eighth studio LP’s title. “So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye — just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confusion, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are.”
Ye will host his third listening party for DONDA, his tenth album, in his hometown of Chicago this Friday at Soldier Field. The album is named for his mother, Dr. Donda West, who died in 2007 following complications during surgery.
The set for the event, TMZ reports, features a replica of the rapper’s childhood home. He purchased the house last year for $225,000.
West is currently trending on Twitter after The New York Post reported that his Chicago listening event will not require proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results.
“Kanye West’s performance is one of many examples that show that Chicago can be open and safe at the same time,” Chicago Park District spokeswoman Michelle Lemons said, according to The Chicago Tribune. “We have worked with Soldier Field on COVID-19 safety protocols, as we have other venues including Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate Fields, and feel this event can be safely held with the proper mitigation efforts in place.”
The rapper is currently embroiled in a divorce from his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian West. The couple has four children and has been making efforts to remain friends, despite the end of their marriage.
“Kim and Kanye have a friendly relationship. It’s always been important to Kim to have a good relationship with Kanye. They are not getting back together, though,” a source told People magazine, noting that the former couple recently shared a meal. “She accepted his lunch invitation earlier this week because they are at the point now when they can hang out. There are no hard feelings.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!