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Kanye West petitions to change his name to ‘Ye’.

Rapper Kanye West has reportedly filed a petition in a California court to change his legal name to his monosyllabic nickname ‘Ye’, which means ‘You’ in the Bible.

The rapper spoke of the planned change during a radio interview in 2018, explaining: “I believe ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible it means you. “So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us.” West went on to say that his name “went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye – just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything.” 

TMZ reported that if the documents which he filed on Tuesday, August 24th are approved, West’s full name of Kanye Omari West would be legally changed to the mononym. According to the California Courts website, a court date is expected to be set within the next six to 12 weeks, at which point a judge will make a decision.

There are no known restrictions that could prevent West from being called “Ye” once a judge signs off on his application. 

West has consistently called himself “Ye” on his social media pages, particularly after he tweeted his desire to be known by the moniker in 2018. 

“The being formally known as Kanye West … I am YE,” the rapper tweeted in September 2018. 

“Ye” also happens to be the title of the rapper’s 2018 album. 

The rapper also hinted about plans to change his name in 2019 when he had a conversation with Yeezy’s head footwear designer Steven Smith.

West is expected to release his tenth studio album, Donda, this week following playback of it at Soldier Field in his native Chicago on Thursday. The album has been anticipated for weeks, ever since he staged another playback event in an Atlanta sports arena on 22 July. He continued to work on the album in a makeshift studio and living space in the arena.

Billboard reported this week that West is building a replica of his childhood home at the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago for the third “Donda” listening party, slated to be held on August 26. The album is due to be released on August 27.

West split from Kim Kardashian West on February 19 this year after seven years of marriage. He has asked for joint custody of their four children. 

Interestingly, Kanye’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian still has his name attached to hers, months after filing for divorce although it is not clear if she’ll change her name if the court approves West’s new name.

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