Years after his supposed name change, Kanye West declares he wants to be referred to as just “Ye” from now on.
In a letter by his chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, the rapper wants to be called Ye and not his slave name, Kanye West. “Ye is one of the most recognizable people in the world, on par with presidents and popes,” the letter reads, per Page Six.
Yiannopoulos continues to write about the importance of West going by Ye and not Kanye. “He didn’t take the decision to change his name, potentially sacrificing some of the immune value captured by the brand ‘Kanye West’ lightly. The change was made fully, legally, and permanently. His name is Ye.”
Yiannopoulos further clarified that West’s brand is reaching out to streaming platforms, publishers, stores, unions, lyrics websites, and data resellers about the name preference. West wants all platforms to change his information to Ye as soon as possible.
“This change will happen everywhere,” the letter continues, with also an explanation of the rapper’s birth name. “He has on several occasions referred to it as his slave name. Ye is a black man in America who wants the right to full self-determination just like everyone else.”
Kanye West Changed His Name Legally to ‘Ye’ In 2021
According to CNN, the rapper, born Kanye West Omari, changed his name to Yet in late 2021. However, he hinted at the change in 2018, when he released his studio album Ye.
On Twitter, West wrote in 2018 that he was being formally known as Kanye West. “I am Ye. 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.”
West also stated that his name went from Kanye West, which means “the only one,” to just Ye as being a “reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything.”
In 2019, West suggested he might legally change his name. But it was going to be “Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West.” However, West went with Yet to reflect on his longtime opinions about th name.
The media outlet further reported that West’s name change is among the several “big shifts” in West’s life in 2021. His ex-wife Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in early 2021. He remained focused on his music and ended up releasing his album Donda in August of that year.