KANYE West threw an epic listening party for his upcoming album Donda, named after his late mother, last night, which saw him set himself on fire and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian dress in a wedding gown.
Disgraced stars Marilyn Manson, and DaBaby also featured – with Kanye erecting a life-size replica of his childhood home in the middle of the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago.
7
An illuminated cross was on top of the building, and there were candles stuck in a dirt mound all around.
In traditional Kanye fashion, the 44-year-old rapper was 90 minutes late for his show, which offered attendees coronavirus vaccinations outside of the venue.
But he pulled out all of the stops when he finally did make an appearance, first seen pacing on the porch of the house in an all-black outfit before he lit himself on fire.
The blaze began inside of the home, with the Gold Digger hitmaker sitting perfectly still as the flames consumed him, dressed in protective gear he calmly walked outside – much to the shock of the live audience.
Members of the crew used fire extinguishers to put him out, and there were homages to his family life with Kim in the rest of the set.
The voice of his mother Donda, who passed away in 2007, repeating her name opened the show, and what looked like two of his and Kim’s four children could be seen inside the house.
Kim wore a Balenciaga Couture wedding dress and veil as she joined Kanye on stage for his final song, No Child Left Behind – driving fans wild.
A source later confirmed to TMZ that Kim and Kanye are not back together, but they are “forever family” following their seven-year marriage.
The insider shared: “Kim and Kanye have always supported the other’s endeavors and will continue to do that in the future, whether it be a collaborative effort or not. Kim was happy to do it for Kanye and the event, which was so important to him.”
Kim also bought their four children, eight-year-old North, five-year-old Saint, three-year-old Chicago, and two-year-old Psalm along to the event.
But more controversial special guests were also in attendance, with Marilyn Manson and DaBaby brought out on stage as Kanye appeared to publicly declare his support for them.
Manson is at the centre of ongoing sexual assault allegations for more than a dozen women, and DaBaby sparked outrage last month when he went on a homophobic rant about AIDs at a music festival.
Attendees at the show-stopping event were also able to get their hands on Kanye’s latest merchandise, including clothing with “2024” and a presidential seal emblazoned across it, and some with a baby photo of him on the front, and an image of the house on the back.
It was also live-streamed on Apple Music, and is the third event that Kanye has held to plug the upcoming album – which was originally due for release on 23 July.