The singer and record producer, Kanye West, will now officially be known as 'Ye.' A Los Angeles judge has signed off on the rapper's petition to change his name. Interestingly enough, the 44-year-old does not have a legal middle or last name. The Yeezy designer has been cited as saying he was making the switch for personal reasons but did not elaborate further.
The singer had been trying to get his name changed for some months. According to Forbes, the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court gave the bid to the name change request, which had been filed on August 24 by the singer best known for hits such as ‘Stronger’ and ‘Gold Digger.’
The multi-talented personality, being a rapper, producer, and fashion designer, has been using the new name on Twitter for several years and has previously hinted at his desire to change his name to Ye legally. He had even released an eighth studio album titled ‘Ye’ in 2018. Shortly after the album's release, the singer tweeted that he would be formally known as Ye. True to his word, the rapper has made the change official, and his previous full name Kanye Omari West is no more. His Instagram handle has been changed to ‘Ye,’ but his website still uses his previous name as of Tuesday.
The singer, who's a new-found believer, had spoken about the religious significance of the moniker in an interview with radio host Big Boy. He claimed ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible and that it means you in the biblical sense. He had further elucidated the spiritual reason for the name change, explaining that Kanye, which means ‘the only one,’ transformed to Ye, which is a reflection of "good, bad, confused and everything," according to Daily Mail.
After getting the court approval to change his name, Ye proceeded to post on Instagram a photograph of his trendy new haircut. The picture shows his back profile while wearing a silver chain that bears his son Saint's name.
Changing names is not that rare in the music industry as several famed artists such as Prince, Sean Love Combs, and Snoop Dogg have all changed their names over the years. Some have changed their name several times, even. Before the name change, Ye had hit the headlines recently following his split from his wife of seven years, Skims founder and reality TV star, Kim Kardashian. The couple, who have four children together, was one of the 'It' couples of the showbiz industry and is one of the most recognizable stars in the world.
Kanye's ex-wife and reality show star Kim Kardashian has retained the singer's former last time despite the divorce and had even used the name for her SNL appearance two weeks ago. It remains a mystery whether the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star and their four children will change their last name to keep up with her ex-husband's new name.
With the rapper’s official name change, fans worldwide are anticipating the beginning of a new era in Ye’s career marked by the occasion.
Source: Forbes, Daily Mail