Kanye West has officially kicked off his Yeezus tour in support of his album of the same name. For West, this is the first full leg solo tour he has done since his 2008 release of 808s & Heartbreak . Knowing West there was bound to be a few visual stunners for his tour, but no one expected Yeezy’s merchandise to take center stage in that department.
Usually artists have a few simple logos of either their names, or image, followed by the dates and locations from the tour listed on the back, but not Kanye. To say that West thought out of the box for his tour merchandise for Yeezus would be a huge understatement.
The merchandise for Yeezus will probably create quite the ruckus as most of the merchandise features t-shirts with huge statements. Some of the themes are taken from ’80s heavy metal albums, and other t-shirts display Confederate flags. The most surprising image is that of a skull dressed up in Native American headdress with a caption that reads, “God Wants You.”
This imagery somewhat is in line for what Kanye West’s new album is all about. Brash, bold, and political, West’s album Yeezus showcases West’s ability to create outspoken rhymes that span the gamut from white privilege, to the greed of consumerism, with most of his lyrics centering around the racial divide of the political spectrum.
Aside from his radical merchandise, Kanye was photographed on Saturday night , kicking off his tour. In the photo West is making his own fashion statement with his girlfriend Kim Kardashian’s face on his shirt. These days West’s fashion choices seem to lack the bold and in your face garments he wore while promoting 808s & Heartbreak . During an interview with the New York Times West gave a memorable quote when asked about his past fashion choices, particularly from that era. Of his fashion choices he said, “Yeah, kill self. That’s all I have to say. Kill self.”
Although the rapper has not given too many interviews to promote his album or his tour, both are getting rave reviews. Rolling Stone was on hand to kick off the tour with West on Saturday night in Seattle. Of West’s two-hour-plus show, the magazine referred to it as:
“Emotionally unsettling as it was awe-inspiring. West’s energy level was extraordinary from the very beginning, with his manic gyrations causing the front end of the stage to rock violently up and down like a giant diving board.”
If given the chance, would you buy Kanye West’s bold merch?
