Kanye West could be about to return for his first UK performance in over a decade, looking for a ‘fresh start’ after apologising for his controversial behaviour.
The rapper, 48, is reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ to headline Wireless Festival in London’s Finsbury Park this summer.
It would be his big return after he played the festival in 2014, where the crowd actually booed him off stage over his mid-set fashion industry rant.
The rant was part of a series of escalations in his behaviour, which culminated in declarations that he was ‘a nazi’ that he later took back.
An insider told The Sun: ‘It’s been an incredibly turbulent few years for Ye, but he wants to get back on stage and prove he’s a serious musician. Wireless is a massive festival and for him to return and headline would be huge.
‘He lost support in the UK over his political views and statements, and he is hopeful this could bring his fans back into the fold.’
Kanye, who also goes by Ye, took out a full-page advert printed in The Wall Street Journal in January to apologise for his recent actions.
Ye was actually stripped of his billionaire status in October 2022, having lost his big-money partnerships over his actions, which saw his net worth plummet from $2billion (£1.3bn) to $400million (£348m).
Last February, he directed people to Yeezy.com via a Super Bowl ad, after which they found T-shirts featuring a swastika for $20 (£14.60). It was later removed.
In the letter, the Power rapper explained he was experiencing ‘manic episodes’ and ‘hit rock bottom a few months ago’.
He declared he is ‘not a Nazi or an antisemite’ and that he ‘loves Jewish people’, leaving him ‘deeply mortified’ by his past behaviour.
The timing of his apology had some people a little sceptical as he had been promoting his new album, but he insisted it was not linked.
Having ‘lost touch with reality’ over the last few years, he’s now reportedly getting the help he needed with support from his wife, Bianca Censori.
The UK has always had a huge fanbase for Ye, with him previously headlining Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in 2015.
His Saint Pablo tour the following year saw the entire European leg cancelled after being hospitalised for a psychiatric assessment.
Despite the widespread condemnation for his ‘hateful’ and ‘inexcusable’ acts by former fans and public figures, he still managed to landed in the top 10 US artists on Spotify last year.
The Wireless insider added: ‘Ye and his team have been locked in final negotiations about headlining Wireless. The number of nights he’ll be performing is still being ironed out.’
The festival is hoping he will agree to three days, matching the number of shows Drake performed last year.
Last year, Wireless served as a major comeback for the One Dance singer after his beef with Kendrick Lamar saw him called out during the Super Bowl halftime show.
Perhaps Ye is hoping it can do the same for him as he prepares to release Bully this month, his first solo album since 2021.
Before his apology, he claimed an upcoming album had a ‘new sound called antisemitic’ in a post he later deleted.
His unreleased album, titled WW3, was teased on a live stream with lyrics seeming to admit Bianca had wanted to leave him.
A source close to the couple supported this theory, claiming they were on the brink of divorce but she chose to ‘stick by him’ as he got help, which included time in rehab and medication.
It seems Ye might finally be ready to return to the spotlight. The real question is, are fans still going to be behind him when he does?
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