Rap Superstar Kanye West Hints at Egypt Concert

Global rap sensation Kanye West – also known as Ye – took to his Instagram on 7 February to hint at a potential concert in Egypt.

West uploaded a series of stories hinting at a world tour, with the Cairo International Stadium and Great Pyramids of Giza being considered as venue options for a live show in Egypt.

One of the world’s best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, Ye holds 24 Grammy Awards – the joint tenth-most of all time for any hip-hop artist.

The artist is currently streamed almost 65 million times a month on Spotify, the world’s leading music streaming service, making him one of the most listened-to rappers on the platform.

West is also known for being a successful fashion designer and businessman, creating the popular Yeezy line of fashion for Adidas.

Despite his musical popularity, the artist has recently been mired in controversy over his behaviour with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, anti-Semitic and Nazi-positive statements, the latter causing several companies to cut commercial ties with West – including Adidas, Vogue, Universal Music Group, and more.

West has since apologised for his comments, writing a letter in Hebrew to the Jewish community in December 2023 expressing remorse for any pain caused and seeking forgiveness.

It remains uncertain whether Ye will keep Egypt on his world tour list, but questions may be raised over Egypt’s previous controversy with famous rapper (and friend of West) Travis Scott.

Scott attempted to perform at the Giza Pyramids in 2023 as the venue for his new album’s launch event. The concert, hyped greatly by Egyptian youth, was eventually cancelled due to logistical issues according to the event’s organisers. Media outlets alleged due to backlash from Egyptians over Scott’s lyrics and controversial way of life.

Proponents of the event viewed Scott’s concert as a chance to boost tourism, gain foreign revenue, and place Egypt as a concert destination for big artists. West, more popular than Scott, is expected to generate much more traction and revenue in the event of a concert in Egypt.

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