Kanye West files to legally change his name to Ye
Farewell, Kanye West. The name "Kanye West," at least.
The rapper has filed documents in Los Angeles to legally change his name from Kanye West to Ye, the nickname he has gone by in recent years, TMZ reports. The documents cite "personal reasons," per BBC News.
West used Ye as the title of his eighth studio album, and in 2018, he declared himself on Twitter to be "the being formally known as Kanye West," adding, "I am YE."
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"I believe 'ye' is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible it means 'you,' West previously said. "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 confused, everything."
West's request needs to be approved by a judge, but TMZ writes that the sign-off is expected. The news comes amid the wait for the rapper's latest studio album, Donda, which still hasn't been released despite West having already held two listening parties that were expected to be followed by its debut. A third listening party is set to take place on Thursday in Chicago. Could it be his final time going out before an audience under the legal name of Kanye West?
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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