Words by Georgie Marriott, Staff Writer
On the 19th October, rapper, religious leader, attempted politician, reality star and father of four; formerly known as Kanye West changed his name to Ye. This came off the back of an application to do so in August of this year, however he has been publicly referring to himself under the two letter agnomen since 2018.
The Guardian acknowledges his explanation behind the change, stating that he believes that “‘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.” “Kanye also announced that he is no longer making secular music,” said Andrew Barber, owner of music media company Fake Shore Drive.
Ye’s projects such as JESUS IS KING, Sunday Services and his most recent album Donda are as part of his religious evolution and commitment to Christianity.
Despite his music and overall brand becoming more and more religious, whilst the percentage of Americans that identify as Christian rapidly declines, Ye suffers little loss. Ye continues to be one of the world’s most successful musicians, with 22 Grammy Awards and having sold more than $160 million records sold worldwide.
With this change, Ye joins the likes of Prince, Adele, Beyonce, Cher, Madonna, Aaliyah, Sia, Drake and Lorde. The move to mononymy (being known by a single name) boasts a certain level of success, branding the individual as famous enough for just one name. But whether Ye becomes as timeless as Shakespeare or Tutankhamen, is a fact that will only be revealed with time.
