WASHINGTON: Music mogul and fashion entrepreneur Kanye West appears to be embracing yet another evolution of his identity.
The rapper, who legally shortened his name to Ye in 2018, has now been referred to as Ye Ye in several official business documents filed in the state of California.
According to documents obtained by E! News, on June 10, the name "Ye Ye" is listed in filings related to West's ventures, including Yeezy Apparel, Yeezy Record Label, and Ox Paha Inc.
His Chief Financial Officer, Hussain Lalani, used the updated name when identifying West as a key figure in the companies, naming him as a "manager or member," as per E! News.
As of now, it remains unclear whether the 48-year-old artist has initiated a formal legal name change to Ye Ye.
In California, such a change would require publishing a legal notice in a local newspaper before a judge considers the petition. No such public filing has yet been reported, as per E! News.
West's interest in name changes is rooted in deeper personal and spiritual meaning. When he changed his name to Ye in 2018, he explained the decision by referencing religious texts, and said, "In the Bible, it means 'you.' So, I'm you, I'm us, it's us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye, just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confusion, everything," as quoted by E! News.
The name Ye was also the title of his eighth studio album, which he described as embodying the energy and duality of human nature. "I wanted something that felt with the energy," he said in an interview at the time, adding, "Just with the universe was giving me, I wanted to match that energy," as quoted by E! News.
Most recently, West appeared to distance himself from his previous online persona.
On May 31, he announced his departure from his verified account on X (formerly Twitter), which still bears the handle @kanyewest.
"Ima finally stop using the @kanyewest Twitter cause my name is Ye," he wrote, adding, "Gonna start a ye account and it is what it is.
" West shares four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.