Kanye West Is Changing His Name, Because Of Course

Kanye West Saturday Night Live

The artist known as Kanye West is no more. That's according to the artist once known as Kanye West. As the rap musician claimed on Twitter (obviously), he is going by a new name these days. And it's not quite a Prince-level difference from the name he's been known by throughout the years. Nor is it a Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion-type of change. Rather, as the artist once known as Kanye West confessed, he will go by simply "YE" for now on. But don't take it from me. Here's what the rapper said:

In a social media address, the artist once known as Kanye West claimed that Kanye West is no longer the name he wants to be known by. Instead, he wants to be known as simply YE. It should be noted that "ye" has been the artist's nickname for a long time. Now, it's just officially his calling card.

By calling himself "the being formally [sic] known as Kanye West," Kanye West -- or, excuse us, YE -- wants to remove himself from his past name, and perhaps even his past controversies. Considering how cryptic YE can be on any given day, it's hard to know why the artist makes any decision. But it's nevertheless the latest proclamation from the famous and controversial artist and one that is likely made to promote his newest album, Yandi, which is expected to come out sometime this weekend. In fact, it was previously believed that it would come out yesterday, after his appearance on SNL.

Alas, at the time of this reporting, YE's latest album is still left at bay, waiting to come out whenever the musician decides to drop it on music platforms. At this point, given YE's past behavior, it could drop any second now or it could drop five months from now. Hell, for all we know, it might never drop at all. Still, we expect it to arrive sooner rather than later, given the new name and his recent appearance on SNL, which has everybody talking, certainly.

Also, considering that YE's previous solo album from this year was also called ye, in a last-minute decision after it was rumored to be called LOVE EVERYONE, the name certainly makes sense and it is a name that the artist once known as Kanye West has gone by for quite a few years, if informally. And it results in yet another time when Kanye West has put himself in the news in 2018 -- a tradition that has been going strong since the early spring.

Away from his name changes and his controversial statements, YE has been earning attention in the media waves for starting feuds with other contemporary artists, while also trying to dissipate a few more in the process as well. Right now, the latest celebrity disgruntlement comes between YE and Nick Cannon, which was announced through a series of social media videos. Additionally, Drake found himself in a feud-of-sorts with YE, but it's evident that YE is trying to put water to those flames and make peace with the famous fellow rap artist, even going so far as to get his daughter involved in the peacemaking process. It's unclear how successful YE has been in putting that feud aside, though, as Drake has yet to respond publicly. We'll keep you updated as more YE news drops.

Will Ashton

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.