UPDATE — 6/16/25 at 4:47 p.m. ET: Kanye West is sticking with his initial name change to Ye.
West’s representative clarified to Us Weekly that there is no ‘Ye Ye’, attributing the confusion to an online form that necessitated entries in both the first and last name fields.
Original story below
Kanye West would like to reintroduce himself. Again.
Reported in business records shared with Us Weekly, the troubled 48-year-old musician was listed under the new name ‘Ye Ye’. These records were submitted by West’s CFO, Hussain Lalani.
It is unclear if West has also legally changed his name to Ye Ye. The Grammy winner has not announced his new moniker publicly.
Us has reached out to West for comment.
West has a history of renaming himself. Back in 2018, he transitioned to using ‘Ye’ as his artistic alias. During the same year, he unveiled his eighth studio album bearing the title derived from his updated moniker.
After dropping the album, West opened up about why he chose the name Ye.
“I wanted something to match my energy,” he told radio host Big Boy in June 2018 per Billboard. “I believe ‘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. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye — just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are.”
In September 2018, West took to social media to declare his decision to go by Ye.
“The being formally known as Kanye West. I am YE,” he wrote via X at the time.
Three years later, West took action to legally change his name. Us confirmed in August 2021 that West filed paperwork in Los Angeles to switch his birth name, Kanye Omari West, to Ye.
Two months later, a judge signed off on the rapper’s petition, legally solidifying the name change.
Earlier this month, West announced on social media his plans to start a new X account under the name Ye.
“Ima finally stop using the @kanyewest twitter cause my name is Ye,” he tweeted in June. “Gonna start a ye account and it is what it is.”
He has yet to launch his new X account. However, his Instagram account does use Ye as its username.
West’s apparent second name change comes weeks after he shared that he was no longer going to spread antisemitic sentiments via his various social media accounts..
“I love all people,” he wrote via X in May. “I am done with antisemitism. Share peace. GOD CALLS FOR PEACE. The earth itself is in God’s kingdom.”
West seemingly apologized for his remarks. (West has previously tweeted antisemitic comments on multiple occasions.)
“I forgive those who have caused me pain,” he wrote via X. “God forgive me for the pain I’ve caused.”
