Kanye West defies expectations to hold 42,000-person concert at stadium destroyed by Typhoon Yagi

Rapper Kanye West made a big comeback in China with a performance on Hainan Island over the weekend. The event attracted a lot of attention even though it took place less than a week after "super typhoon" Yagi devastated the island.

Last weekend, Kanye West (new stage name: Ye) performed in Hainan Island. This was his first performance in China in 16 years, and the event attracted significant attention from fans around the world and in China. Notably, less than a week ago, Hainan Island was one of the places most severely affected by "super typhoon" Yagi before it made landfall in Vietnam.

The Wuyuanjiang Stadium in Haikou City, where the concert was held, was severely damaged. The tornado blew off nearly half of the stadium’s roof, raising concerns about the ability to hold the event. However, despite these difficulties, the concert went off without a hitch. This not only showed the determination of the organizers, but also reflected the local community’s ability to quickly recover from the disaster.

The show sold out 42,000 tickets, and Ye not only appeared alone but also brought his entire family on stage. Current wife Bianca Censori, ex-wife Kim Kardashian, and children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm all joined him for a performance of Everybody from his Vultures album. In addition to performing familiar songs, Ye also announced plans for his next album and debuted a new song called Preacher Man.

Ye's performance sparked a flurry of discussion on Chinese social media. A hashtag about the performance attracted more than 1.7 million interactions on Weibo, with many asking the simple question: "How did he do it?" Many fans expressed surprise that the performance was held in Hainan, a small province, instead of major cities like Beijing or Shanghai.

Furthermore, Ye’s permission to perform in China was also a surprise, as Ye is one of the most controversial artists in the world. But he eventually overcame China’s strict censorship policy towards foreign artists to perform in front of over 42,000 people.

The Haikou government posted information about Ye's performance on its official website, stressing that international singers' performances are a way to promote "high-quality development of the tourism industry." More than 90% of the tickets sold for Ye's performance were to people outside Hainan, demonstrating the event's great appeal to tourists and its potential to boost tourism.

Kanye Omari West, born in 1977, is known as a famous producer, singer and fashion businessman. In each field, Kanye West has achieved certain success and helped him enter the list of the most powerful artists in America.

Kanye West has won multiple Grammy Awards and was named to Time magazine's list of "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2005 and 2015. In 2020, Kanye West was listed as a billionaire by Forbes with a net worth of up to 1.3 billion USD.

Once a billionaire rapper and a fashion icon in the world of music, Kanye West has been widely boycotted in recent years due to a series of notable statements and actions. He is Taylor Swift's "arch-enemy" and the most hated rapper in the world.

For example, his 2016 release of the song "Famous" was widely condemned for its lyrics, which were seen as sexually harassing American pop singer Taylor Swift. The rapper has also been widely criticized for his anti-Semitic comments.

In 2022, West was criticized for attending a "Nyotaimori" event, commonly known as "body sushi", in which sushi is served on a naked woman's body, at a birthday party with his then-9-year-old daughter. He also praised Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in an interview.

This also explains why Kanye West was shunned by his colleagues, criticized by the audience, and why many brands he represented decided to terminate their contracts.

Kanye West lets his 10-year-old daughter sing with Diddy, his ex-wife objects and gets scolded Phượng Vũ14:45:02 17/03/2025Kanye West has just attracted attention when he let his daughter appear with the scandalous tycoon - Diddy. This decision of the male rapper was not approved by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.