Kanye West rep says Putin visit story ‘completely fabricated’

A representative for Kanye West has called reports that he’s planning on meeting with Vladimir Putin during a trip to Russia “completely fabricated”.

Earlier this week, Billboard reported that West, who officially changed his name to Ye last year, was planning to stage a number of his Sunday Service performances while in the country.

The publication also claimed, via comments from West’s “confidant and strategic advisor” Ameer Sudan, that the artist would be working on business matters while in Russia, which he planned on making a “second home”.

Rob Goldstone, the publicist for pop singer Emin Agalarov – ​​son of Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov – told the publication there were “talks going on”.

However, West’s representative Pierre Rougier has now told Rolling Stone that the story is “entirely fabricated”.

He called it “a work of fiction of wishful thinking from these Russian people”.

Earlier this month, music executive Steven Victor said that Ye has already begun work on a sequel to his 2021 album, Donda.

Ye released his 10th studio album last year, to mixed reviews and after several major delays. It also caused controversy due to the inclusion of Marilyn Manson and DaBaby on certain tracks.

This week, the trailer was released for Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, a forthcoming documentary that has been 20 years in the making.

Read The Independent’s review here.