Kanye West made headlines when he legally changed his name to "Ye" years ago. However, despite the significant change, the public still calls him the moniker he used for decades. More recently, one of his staff members stated that he should call people out and ask them to refer the musician to the name he had legally chosen.
According to Milo Yiannopoulos, his chief of staff, West doesn't want to be associated with his old name anymore because he claimed that it was a "slave name."
"Ye is one of the most recognizable people in the world, on par with presidents and popes," he wrote in a letter obtained by Page Six.
He added that the decision was not taken lightly as it could potentially sacrifice some of the things that the "Kanye West" brand had already established in the past.
Kanye West's Team Reaches Out to Several Websites
Yiannopoulos added in the letter that Ye's team is reaching out to several stores, publishers, streaming platforms, and many more to refer to him as "Ye."
"Your platform has been identified as one of the most visible places this change may occur and we passionately hope you will be able to fully and properly reflect the new name and identity of such enormously influential and historic figure," the letter continued.
One of the main reasons why he wanted people to call him just "Ye" was because his old name was considered to be a "slave name."
The chief of staff added that Ye is a "black man in America" who wanted to have the right to "full self-determination" similar to other people.
Kanye West Legally Changed His Name in 2021
In early reports, a Los Angeles judge approved the rapper's request to change his name in 2021 legally. At the time, he cited in court documents that it was due to "personal reasons."
In 2018, he spoke in an interview where he detailed that the name was inspired by a word commonly used in the bible.
He mentioned that it means "you," a reflection of people-good, bad, confused, and everything in between.
As of this writing, the rapper has yet to share his thoughts regarding the recent announcement on social media or in interviews.
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