No, Kanye West Hasn’t Changed His Name Again

It feels like Kanye West makes headlines every other week these days. While most of the sensational headlines about him are, for better or worse, very real, rumors still make their way through, too. For days, rumors have swirled that West had officially changed his name to Ye Ye. Insiders are setting the record straight: Kanye West hasn’t changed his name again.

Why do people think Kanye West changed his name to Ye Ye?

Last week, rumors began flying that Kanye West had made a sudden change to his name. According to several sources, the man who has been going by just ‘Ye’ since 2021 changed his name to Ye Ye. The change would have come during the rapper’s most controversial year yet, if it had actually happened.

While the rumors are false, they did gain traction due to credible legal documentation. The rumor started to spread after financial documentation filed by Kanye West’s team had the company founder listed as “Ye Ye.” There apparently is a simple explanation for that.

A second name change did not take place

Despite rumors that Kanye West changed his name from Ye to Ye Ye, he did not. The rapper has filed no additional name change petitions, and no judge has signed off on any legal documents pertaining to his name. While the “Ye Ye” moniker did appear on paperwork filed by his team, there is a simple explanation for why.

A spokesperson reached out to Page Six and explained exactly why legal documentation is floating around with the Ye Ye moniker. West’s representative told the outlet that documents with the name Ye Ye exist due to an “an oddity created by an online form.” The rep went on to explain that while filling out online forms, the team had to include a last name in order to proceed, so they added Ye in the surname box as well. It does not indicate a legal change.

When did he originally change his name?

While the controversial rapper has not changed his name to Ye Ye, he did successfully change his name in the recent past. Kanye West changed his name to Ye back in 2021, despite most people and outlets still referring to him as Kanye West.

The music producer filed a name change petition in August 2021. In the petition, he said he wanted to drop his full name, Kanye Omari West, in favor of the mononym “Ye.” He cited personal reasons for the change. A Los Angeles judge approved the request in October 2021.

Although the change was unusual, it should not have come as a huge surprise. West has had an affinity for the moniker for years. He titled his 2018 album “Ye” and had largely gone by the nickname for years.