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UPDATE: Sources say that Kanye West’s Donda 2 event at LoanDepot Park will be a live performance of the album, not merely a listening event as previously reported.
Over the weekend, Kanye West revealed in a since-deleted Instagram post that he will be holding a Donda 2 performance at LoanDepot Park in Miami on February 22 – the same day the album is expected to be released.
Considering Ye spent all weekend railing about Kim Kardashian’s new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, and going off on Billie Eilish for what he interpreted as a poke at Travis Scott (never mind that she never uttered Scott’s name), it’s surprising he had time to put together an event. He already held a listening party for the album on February 7 in Los Angeles, where Drake, Yung Lean, and Scott reportedly were in attendance.
The Miami event will likely be similar to last year’s Donda event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta – which is to say more self-promotion than concert. The album itself was mired in controversy, owing to multiple delays and the inclusion of guest artists Marilyn Mansion and DaBaby, who’d recently made headlines for alleged sexual assault (Manson) and homophobic comments (DaBaby). Ye defended appearing alongside the artists in Atlanta, asserting on the Drink Champs podcast, “When I sit next to Marilyn Manson and DaBaby right after both of them got canceled, for five songs, you know, it’s like they can’t cancel us all.”
The album itself was met with mixed reviews. The AV Club’s Nina Hernandez called it “stale, incoherent, and self-indulgent,” yet it’s nominated for four Grammy Awards, including “Album of the Year” and “Best Rap Album.”
Tickets for the Miami performance go on sale today at 11:30 a.m. via Ticketmaster.
Kanye West: Donda Experience Performance. 8 p.m. Tuesday, February 22, at LoanDepot Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami; 305-480-1300; mlb.com. Tickets cost $45 to $999 via ticketmaster.com.
