Rapper Kanye West has gone by many names after becoming a prominent artiste. Now, according to a report by E! News, West has filed paperwork to officially change his name from Kanye Omari West to ‘Ye’. TMZ reported that West filed these legal documents in Los Angeles, California, requesting a judge to acknowledge his name as the monosyllabic ‘Ye’ for “personal reasons.”
Legal name changes are reportedly relatively easy to attain in California, although the review process exists to ensure that the change doesn’t facilitate any fraud or illegal conduct. West needs one judge to approve the change for it to take effect.
Kanye first gave himself the nickname in 2018 in a tweet writing, "The being formally known as Kanye West...I am YE."
Back then in an interview, Kanye said that ‘Ye’ had a deeper meaning. The rapper said, "I believe 'ye' is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means 'you.' 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."
Apart from that fans are coming up with a number of guesses regarding the name change. Many suspect that it has something to do with West's divorce from Kim Kardashian, who still has 'Kim Kardashian West' as her legal surname, while their children share the last name West as well.
His loyal followers are still awaiting the release of his latest project, Donda, which was initially scheduled for release on 23 July. Rather than release the album on streaming platforms, Kanye has chosen to host listening parties across the USA. He has organised two of those in Atlanta, Georgia, and is now preparing to hold his latest gathering in his hometown Chicago on 26 August.
If it goes according to schedule, fans of Kanye/Pablo/Yeezy/Yeezus/Mr. West/Ye will be able to listen to Donda, when it releases on Friday.
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