Refer To Him As ‘Ye’: Artist Formerly Known As Kanye West Denounces ‘Slave Name’

"Ye is a Black man in America who wants the right to full self-determination just like everyone else," wrote Ye's chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulous.

Kanye West is no more. The artist now known as “Ye” is demanding that the music industry recognize his name change.

His chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulous, reportedly sent a letter to various media outlets on Feb 26. urging them to oblige this request. In the letter, Yiannopoulous referred to the decision as not one made in vain, given the immense recognition of “Kanye West” as a brand. A fan account for the rapper posted a picture of the document.

The Chief of YEEZY staff is sending a letter to various platforms and entities, directing them to stop using "Kanye" and instead use "Ye"

"He [Ye] has on several occasions referred to it as his slave name. Ye is a black man in America who wants the right to full… pic.twitter.com/OkpLGEZrt3
— Donda Times (@dondatimes) March 23, 2024

“Ye is one of the most recognizable people in the world, on par with presidents and popes,” shared Yiannopoulous. “He didn’t take the decision to change his name, potentially sacrificing some of the immense value captured by the brand ‘Kanye West’ lightly. The change was made fully, legally, and permanently. The is who he is now. His name is Ye.”

The letter later states that West refers to his old moniker as his slave name. The Yeezy employee shared how, as a Black man, West has a right to self-determination in America. It should also be noted that Yiannopoulous is a former alt-right political commentator.

“He has on several occasions referred to it as his slave name,” detailed the letter. “Ye is a Black man in America who wants the right to full self-determination just like everyone else. My colleagues and I are reaching out at his urging and hope you can assist in this effort by bringing any and all instances of his name into line on your services.”

In 2021, a Los Angeles Judge legalized the name change. West listed “personal reasons” for the name change in court documents obtained by Page Six.