Kanye West Performs in China for the First Time in 16 Years

Ye’s latest performance in China brought out more than 42,000 fans.

China Daily reports that the artist formerly known as Kanye West brought his Vultures trilogy rollout to the island province of China, selling out of all 42,000 tickets in a show that featured Ty Dolla $ign.

Ye officially announced the show late last month after a previously announced Vultures show in Taiwan was called off.

In an official government update about the show at the Haikou Wuyuanhe Stadium, government personnel billed the show as a rare occurrence.

Many people in and outside of China were also surprised that Ye would perform there because of the country’s conservative social values and how they contrast with how wild, free, and unpredictable Ye himself is.

Speaking to CNBC, Michael Zhou, founder of Jingjian, a consultancy that specializes in China tourism, explained that this show is a part of a wider effort to make the area open to more travel. “This is Hainan trying hard to forge its branding as an international destination,” he said.

This show was a return for Ye in more ways than one. It was his first show in China in 16 years, and also a return to a country that he lived in with his late mother Donda as a kid when she taught in the Nanjing area.

Last month, Ye dedicated a performance of his Graduation track “I Wonder” to Drake and Ian Connor while performing another Vultures concert in South Korea. While performing a massive 74-song set with tracks from all throughout his career, he stopped briefly after performing “Stronger” to dedicate the song to the two people.

Of the two, Ian Connor chose to respond to the shoutout by writing the lyrics in an X post.

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