Ye's New Orleans concert puts star's controversy in the spotlight
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Ye performs at the Superdome on Friday. Photo: Muhammed Ali Yigit/Anadolu via Getty Images
Ye may not have everybody buying tickets to his New Orleans tour stop, but he's certainly got everybody talking.
Why it matters: The artist formerly known as Kanye West hasn't performed here in 13 years, but he'll return Friday amid questions about whether audiences will embrace him after years of controversy.
The big picture:: Ye's current international tour appears to be part of a broader goal to rehabilitate his public image after years of chaotic behavior and antisemitic rhetoric.
- Other tour stops have been popular, from his hometown of Chicago to Tampa Bay and two sellouts reported in Russia (though the Russian tour stops were canceled over a venue dispute).
Yes, but: New Orleans appears a little less ready to forgive and forget, with reportedly lagging ticket sales.
- Show promoters expect it to sell out though, according to a social media post co-authored by local restaurateur and concert promoter Larry Morrow. The post offered 200 free tickets.
Zoom in: Local Jewish organization leaders said they shared their concerns about the show with Superdome manager Legends Global, who assured the group that Ye is under a contractual obligation to avoid hate speech.
- Venue staff have also been trained to spot extremist symbols, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans says.
Between the lines: The nuance of the conversation surrounding Ye, and whether fans should separate the art from the artist is why Baldwin and Co.'s new NOLA Art Bar recently hosted an event welcoming discussion of the show.
- "We wanted to open up the dialogue, particularly in marginalized communities [on] how we view our artists when we don't necessarily agree with their personal political positions," DJ Johnson tells Axios New Orleans.
- The conversation was robust, Johnson says, with "people who were vehemently in support of him," as well as those staunchly on the other side.
One key question he heard, Johnson says, was whether Ye's failure to align with an expectation of Black people as Democrats fuels the fire against him.
- "Are we holding him to an unfair standard and not holding everyone else to the same standard?" Johnson mused.
If you go: Tickets are still widely available on Ticketmaster.