Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty
Kanye West has been known to go ghost on the public in times of personal crisis. But not even the six-month escape to Europe after he asterisked Taylor Swift’s win at the 2009 VMA’s has left followers as puzzled as Mr. West’s latest break from fame.
With another baby due in January and an old “friend” going H.A.M. in the White House, you would think 2017’s version of Yeezy Season would have been well under way by now. But besides the announcement that the sixth Yeezy fashion line will be revealed at an off-the-calendar presentation instead of New York Fashion Week, Mr. West has been incredibly incognito in the nine months since he was admitted to UCLA Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.
We’ve heard updates on Ye’s status from anonymous sources in his camp, 2 Chainz and even estranged big brother Jay-Z, but still no gospel directly from Yeezus, who deleted his social media pages in May. Until he reemerges from his self-imposed exile, here’s all we know about Kanye’s well-being, his music and what he’s been up to in his time out of the limelight.
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November 2016
November 17 – As the country was still coming to terms with the election of Donald Trump on November 4, West was booed by fans at a concert after announcing that he hadn’t voted, but that if he had, it would have been for Trump. He added that Black people need to stop focusing on racism.
November 21 – West cancelled the remainder of his Saint Pablo Tour and entered UCLA Medical Center for evaluation and treatment a few days after his Trump comments. Collaborators Talib Kweli and Snoop Dogg expressed concern for his mental health, which included spilling tea about his strained personal relationships with Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
December 2016
December 13 – Two days after getting out of the hospital, West met with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York City, doubling down on the political support he offered on stage.
After the meeting, West tweeted: “”I wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues… These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago… I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.” West reportedly requested a 15-minute sit-down with Trump, but there hasn’t been news of much progress on the proposed initiatives as of yet.
January 2017
KANYE IS MIA…
February 2017
April 2017
May 5 – Kanye deleted his social media profiles from Twitter and Instagram in early May. With over 27 million followers, he was listed as one of Twitter’s Top 50 users—but the dramatic break from social media seems to have helped his recovery.
May 9 – According to TMZ, Ye spent a few weeks in Wyoming – of all places – recording new music while continuing his sabbatical from his public persona.
June 2017
June 5 – Fans were blessed with three new Kanye songs in early June via a leak that wasn’t likely wasn’t approved by Mr. West himself. The collaborations with Migos, A$AP Rocky and Young Thug may not have been intended for public consumption at the time, but they were a welcomed reminder of how exciting the prospect of new Yeezy can be as the world continued to pray for his health and peace.
June 9 – In early June, Pusha T revealed to Complex that Kanye had produced the majority of his upcoming project. The Clipse MC said: “It’s mostly Kanye West… Amazing beats, and the bars is just… you know.”
June 17 – Old footage of West’s unreleased Comedy Central pilot surfaced online in June, causing fans to geek out about the idea of the $1 million collaboration with Jimmy Kimmel and Rhymefest actually getting picked up. Another fun fact that came up in the nostalgia is the fact that West first met his wife Kim Kardashian-West on the set of the short-lived show.
July 6 – The root cause of Kanye’s legal issues with Jay-Z and TIDAL leaked to the public just weeks after the release of Jay’s 4:44, revealing that their dispute was over “more than $3 million.” West apparently hadn’t been paid the bonus he was owed after his 2016 album The Life of Pablo added 1.5 million subscribers to TIDAL’s numbers. Jay has since expressed regret about airing their financial issues out on his “Kill JAY-Z” record, but he also revealed that the two still need to have a serious talk before they can move past their issues.
August 2 – Yeezy didn’t have to say much to flex his new jewelry collab with Jacob Arabo, which became available in Paris in August. The line sold out almost immediately in April, and Mrs. Kardashian-West helped boost its stock with plenty of product placement for her 103 million Instagram followers.
August 11 – Kanye was caught in a photo with Kid Cudi and Takashi Murakami on Instagram, and sneaker heads couldn’t stop talking about the exclusive Yeezy Boost 350s he was wearing in the rare pic of the three fashion visionaries.
August 23 – Fashion fans spotted West wearing his exclusive Adidas kicks, the Yeezy Powerphases, in late August and the hype for Yeezy Season 6 continued to grow.
