Kanye West Changes Name to ‘Ye’ Ahead of ‘SNL’ Performance

Kanye West has changed his Twitter name and, apparently, his preferred name in general as he prepares to perform on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.

West has often used the monosyllabic nickname “Ye” throughout his career. This year, he even released an album titled Ye — a simple name for an explosive release. On Saturday, just hours before he is set to appear on the most acclaimed sketch comedy show on TV, he changed his name to “Ye” as well, explaining why in a tweet.

“The being formally known as Kanye West,” it read with no punctuation. After a double line break, he added: “I am YE.”

West’s tweet served as a double-entendre, as some followers pointed out. He could have been referencing Prince’s infamous name change, when he was re-Christened as an un-pronounceable symbol. At the time, Prince referred to himself as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” West, in turn, has apparently denoted Kanye West as his formal, if not former name, preferring to go by Ye.

Whatever he chooses to call himself, fans have only one thing on their minds: West’s promise of a new album on the way. The rapper has been teasing a release titled Yandhi for some time now, and on Thursday he finally set a concrete release date.

“We’re releasing Yandhi Saturday night,” he wrote. “We know it will come in number 2 to my brother Lil Wayne and that’s lovely. The universe needs Ye and Wayne music at the same time.”

Yandhi follows the same titling format as West’s 2013 album Yeezus, with the rapper brashly comparing himself to spiritual figures. However, while Yeezus was received as bold and triumphant at the time, excitement for Yandhi is at a relative low.

West has been widely panned for his recent outspoken support for President Donald Trump, and he shows no signs of backing down on that score. In the promos for his Saturday Night Live performance, West wears his contentious “Make America Great Again” hat — signed by President Trump himself, if it is the same one from Twitter earlier this year.

West’s appearance on the show has already sent shock waves through social media. He reportedly said that he would have preferred Louis C.K. to be the host of his episode, according to The Fader. Meanwhile, the show’s executive producer, Lorne Michaels, said that West was actually a last-minute replacement for Ariana Grande after the singer dropped out, according to the Origins with James Andrew Miller podcast.

Season 44 of Saturday Night Live premieres on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET.