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Kanye West has broken his silence after abruptly postponing his Marseille concert "until further notice," amid reports that French authorities were considering a ban.
The rapper, who legally changed his name to 'Ye' in 2021, made the announcement on Wednesday (15 April).
"After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice," he wrote on X/Twitter.
The news comes just a week after Wireless Festival was forced to cancel entirely, following the ban of West's planned three-day headlining stint.
A few hours after his initial X post, West returned to the platform with a follow-up statement, writing: "It takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends."
"I take full responsibility for what’s mine but I don’t want to put my fans in the middle of it," he shared, before adding that his fans are his "everything".
He continued: "Looking forward to the next shows / See you at the top of the globe".
West previously issued a public apology for his past anti-Semitic comments and actions, including selling T-shirts bearing a swastika and releasing a song titled 'Heil Hitler', citing bipolar disorder as "a very serious debilitating disease".
However, ahead of the Marseille show postponement, a spokesperson for French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told Politico, the government is "very determined" to stop the show and is exploring "every possibility".
Marseille mayor Benoît Payan also tweeted last month: "I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism. Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome."
Then, before West's official Wireless ban, several sponsors – including Pepsi and PayPal – had already dropped out upon hearing the headliner news.
In a statement on 7 April, prime minister Keir Starmer wrote: "Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.
"This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.
"We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values."
Indy100 reached out to Kanye West's representative for comment
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