It's not often that Kanye West goes to the media to address reports on his many controversies, but here we are. Ye and his team issued a statement responding to negative reports about his Shanghai concert on Saturday (July 12), denying reports that he was late and addressing technical issues.
Many of the 70K-plus attendees took to social media with complaints and demands for a refund, some of which criticized the show's set-up, sound quality, and lack of engaging performance. Reportedly, some of the crowd even chanted for refunds.
"To ensure the quality of the performance, Ye arrived at the stadium before 3:00 P.M. on July 12 (with surveillance footage available as evidence)," Kanye West's team stated, according to AllHipHop. "The concert was originally scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM, but due to on-site equipment issues, troubleshooting and adjustments continued until 8:00 PM and still failed to reach optimal condition. Out of respect for the audience’s passion and anticipation, Ye made the decision to go on stage and perform despite the imperfect setup. Therefore, claims of Ye being late are entirely untrue."
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Throughout the show, Ye paused the performance thrice to deal with malfunctioning equipment and coordinate with staff. "Even in the midst of heavy rain, Ye insisted on returning to the stage promptly to continue performing — solely to offer the audience and fans his utmost sincerity and respect." Also, an unauthorized track played after the show ended. "Ye was completely unaware of this and was shocked to learn of it," the statement responded to that aspect.
"I love China. I love my Chinese fans. Your support is my greatest motivation. I promise to return your trust and love with even more perfect performances in the future!" Ye concluded the statement.
Elsewhere, Kanye West's other controversies involve disturbing sexual misconduct allegations against him from a former Yeezy assistant and chief of staff. His team already denied the accusations and proclaimed they will fight this out in court. Meanwhile, new musical releases are on the way, including Bully presumably coming this month. We'll see how all of these narratives evolve soon...
