Kanye West has called out venues he thinks aren’t booking him due to his past controversies.
The comments come ahead of the rapper releasing his highly anticipated new album with Ty Dolla $ign – ‘Vultures’. The first volume of their long-delayed project is due to arrive this Friday (February 9) ahead of two further instalments on March 8 and April 5, respectively.
Now, ahead of its release, West has taken to social media to call out venues that he sees as not booking him because of his previous controversies.
Last night (February 6), he took to Instagram to post a Story, highlighting the struggle and drawing attention to a recently sold-out ‘Vultures’ event.
“We just sold out the United Center in seven minutes… It’s the only arena that I had access to in the past year. And when I call, people say there’s no [availabilities] for me, and you know why that is. So if there’s anybody out there that can help with this, please do,” he wrote before quickly taking down the post (via Complex).
“I have not been allowed to perform in a year,” he wrote in a separate post in all caps. “Feels like the Elvis Presley movie.”
Since posting the updates, West has gone on to receive a number of offers to perform live via text and went on to share screenshots of the potential venues he may be visiting to promote the album.
The list included arena dates in Toronto, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other locations throughout this summer.
He later posted a screenshot that showed he would be looking into some “iconic international venue options” such as the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (home of the Christ the Redeemer statue), the Great Wall Of China, and the Pyramids Of Giza.
The news that West is looking to perform live arrives just weeks after the rapper issued an apology to the Jewish community for his anti-Semitic comments.
The rapper was first accused of anti-Semitism in October 2022 following a series of posts on both Twitter and Instagram, which saw his accounts on both social media sites suspended.
“I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions, it was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” he wrote in December. “I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
Following the initial claims of anti-Semitism, the star was dropped by his lawyer, talent agency and record label, while several fashion brands, including Balenciaga and Adidas, ended their partnerships with him. Celebrities and politicians around the world condemned his comments, while West said he didn’t “believe” in the term antisemitism in an interview with News Nation‘s Chris Cuomo.
As for his upcoming LP, a ‘Vultures’ trailer was recently shared – directed by Jon Rafman, and includes eerie clips stitched together of fire and destruction, cult-like figures and ominous animals. The dramatic clip was soundtracked by a reworked version of West’s previously released title track.
Similarly, last December saw the two rappers preview various tracks from ‘Vultures’ at a listening party in Miami, Florida. West and Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘Vultures’ rave in Las Vegas, Nevada was subsequently shut down by the authorities.
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