On September 15, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign will bring their “Vultures” listening party to Haikou, China. The duo, who comprise the American hip hop supergroup ¥$, have been hosting listening parties around the world for their album series “Vultures.” The first album in the series was released February of this year, with the second released in August.

This event marks Ye’s first return to the Chinese mainland since his concerts in Shanghai and Beijing in 2008. Unlike the typical choice of major cities, the American rapper has opted for a less conventional location this time. The concert is scheduled to take place at Haikou Wuyuan River Sports Park (五源河体育场). Tickets were available on the Damai app, with prices ranging between 680 and 2,000 RMB. 

Chinese fans were undeterred by these high prices. The 30,000 tickets available sold out in just three minutes leaving 225,000 fans waiting — including many Chinese rappers. Zhang Zihao (Wiz_H), a “The Rap of China 2020” participant, was one of the lucky ones, sharing his ticket to Ye’s show online. But many other rappers expressed their frustration at missing out. Securing Ye tickets has seemingly become a badge of authenticity in the Chinese rap scene.

One of the reasons fans in China are especially fond of Ye is that he attended school in Nanjing as a young child. Many on Xiaohongshu joke that only someone who studied in Nanjing would even know about Haikou.

Located on Hainan’s northern coast, Haikou is a port city known for its blend of Chinese and colonial European architecture, as well as its pristine beaches and lush tropical landscapes. 

However, a more likely reason for choosing Haikou is its relatively relaxed approval process for holding concerts, as compared to other cities in China.

Some people have expressed concern about Ye’s condition and whether he’s still up to performing a “concert.” His erratic behavior in recent years even led some concerned citizens to report him to Haikou’s tourism authorities, requesting the event be canceled on the grounds that he is a “disturbing and indecent” performer. 

However, his performance in Seoul on August 23 eased many of these concerns. Despite it being a listening party where usually only pre-recorded audio would be played, West and Ty Dolla $ign performed 78 songs in total. While Ye has recently tended to wear masks in public, he showed his face throughout the show, raising hopes that these listening events may mark a partial return to “the old Kanye.”

Ultimately, Ye’s connection with China is deep, even somewhat mystical. How many songs will he perform on September 15? Here at RADII, we’re eager to find out.

Banner image via Billboard.