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LOS ANGELES – Kanye West, now possibly returning to his iconic moniker, captivated a sold-out audience in Southern California with a concert aimed at marking his resurgence after years of stirring controversy. Among his supporters for this significant event was none other than musical legend Lauryn Hill.
Nearly a year after releasing the contentious track “Heil Hitler” and a couple of months following his public apology for antisemitic remarks, Ye allowed his extensive catalog of hits and the roar of 70,000 dedicated fans to convey his message loud and clear at SoFi Stadium on Friday night.
Addressing the lively crowd, Ye expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying, “Thank you all for standing by me through the tough and low moments. I love you for that.”
In a first-time collaboration, Hill joined Ye on stage to perform an electrifying version of his 2004 classic “All Falls Down,” originally featuring her sampled vocals. Hill then took center stage with performances of her tracks “Lost Ones” and “Doo Wop (That Thing),” before Ye returned to perform “Believe What I Say,” which samples “Doo Wop.” They shared a warm embrace as Hill departed.
The concert also featured appearances by Travis Scott, CeeLo Green, and Ye’s young daughter North West, who all took to the sky with Ye, secured in safety harnesses, atop a striking half-orb stage. Throughout the over two-hour show, this stage transformed into various celestial visuals, depicting a moon, a rotating Earth, and a smoking sphere, captivating both the live and online audiences.
A loud singalong of “Heartless” midway through the more than 40-song Good Friday show seemed to boost Ye’s spirits: “That’s what 80,000 people sound like, ladies and gentlemen. … They said I’d never be back in the States. Two sold-out concerts, baby!”
The first SoFi show Wednesday, his first major U.S. performance in nearly five years, turned out to be more of a warm-up as Ye was tentative in his rapping and drew attention to technical mishaps.
Fans at that show said they separated the 48-year-old performer’s personal beliefs and public statements from his music — and were ready to forgive after his January apology letter.
“You gotta back your family no matter what,” said Vince Da Prince, a rapper from Downey, Calif. “He’s a part of our fam since we were little kids.”
Added fan Yovani Contreras: “I don’t really bring into politics or the way someone’s personal opinion are. I’m into the music artistry … Like, I just, to me, Ye is always gonna be Ye. Kanye is always gonna be Kanye.”
Luis Velasquez said he’d been a longtime fan and had been put off by controversies in recent years, but felt the apology was sincere.
“Yeah he did apologize,” he said. “He’s taking the medication I think is what he mentioned. … For me as a fan that’s, like, respect, right? Like I think that’s cool enough to bridge that gap.”
Ye released his latest album, “Bully,” under both the names Ye and Kanye West, at the end of March. He dominated hip-hop and pop charts in the 2000s and early 2010s, winning 24 Grammy Awards despite public outbursts and a polarizing personality. He lost nearly all his major business partnerships and many fans after a string of controversies in the last several years including antisemitic remarks and social media posts.
He closed Friday night’s show with his “toast to the douchebags” hit “Runaway,” and walked out of the stadium behind his wife Bianca Censori and two of his children.
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