WhenYereturned to Los Angeles for his first full live show in the United States since 2021, it was as if time hadn't passed.
The hip-hop mogul, formerly known asKanye West,hit the stage at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday, April 1, for his first of two shows following recent performances in Mexico City and China, and his first apology in years for the antisemitic messages he spewed. The rapper previously sharedrhetoric widely deemed as antisemiticon social media, used a 2025 Super Bowl ad to redirect viewers to a website selling a $20 swastika T-shirt, and dropped asong praising Adolf Hitler.
In a lengthy advertisement fromThe Wall Street Journal's Jan. 26 issueaddressed to "those I've hurt," Ye stated he was not an "antisemite" and detailed a rocky mental health history, which included his bipolar disorder diagnosis, that he said fueled his behavior.
"My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that," he wrote.
Here's what the artist said at his first show back, and how critics and fans at the show responded.
Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house, cut ties with the star after he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Ye gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ye hit the 2025 Grammys red carpet donning a black shirt and pants, sunglasses and a chain. Meanwhile, wife Bianca Censori wore a black fur coat that she removed to pose in a nearly nude, see-through dress as photographers captured the couple's appearance." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ye and Bianca Censori attend the Marni fall/winter 2024 fashion show on Feb. 23, 2024, in Milan, Italy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ye and Bianca Censori are seen in the stands during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Feb. 20, 2024." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Charlie Wilson, left, and Ye attend Wilson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Jan. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ye attended the premiere for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM," a documentary by conservative political commentator Candace Owens, on Oct. 12, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast a few days after the event found the rapper making controversial statements on the manner of Floyd's death." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ye and his children Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West, who he shares with ex Kim Kardashian, attended the Balenciaga womenswear spring/summer 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
gave an impassioned speech about Diddy, who he called his "brother."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
were rumored to be romantically linked at the time." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
then-girlfriend Julia Fox, an actress and model, attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 23, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
temporarily moved into the venue following the event while he finished work on his 10th studio album "Donda," named after his late mother Donda West." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Easter Sunday service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"feel like Superman." Trump called him "a smart cookie."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
See Kanye West, Ye, the polarizing rapper, fashion mogul
Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house,cut ties with the starafter he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.
What did Ye say at his concert?
At Wednesday's show, Ye did not address any controversies; instead, he focused on performing 32 tracks, including many from his new studio album "Bully," which dropped on March 28. The show also featured guest performances from rapperDon Toliver, who played the "Donda" track "Moon," and Ye's 12-year-old daughterNorth West, whom he shares withKim Kardashian.
Ye's only commentary at the show, according toThe New York Times, was berating stage technicians over the pace of the lighting.
"Is this an 'SNL' skit or something?" Ye said on stage as the crowd laughed, the Times reported. "Stop doing the vibrating, Vegas lights, bro. We went over this in rehearsal."
What did critics say about Ye's concert?
TheLos Angeles Times' music critic Mikael Wood said the show had a tense, unsettling environment as Ye reportedly scolded people on stage, including collaborators and dancers, in what Wood described as a "bully's arena."
"The show felt less like a concert and more like watching a superstar bully everyone in his orbit," Wood's review reads.
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TheHollywood Reporter's Ethan Millman called Ye's live vocals "muddy at times as well," emphasizing the difficulty in distinguishing his actual voice from his recorded vocals and backing tracks.
Variety's Steven J. Horowitzalso highlighted the backing vocals being louder than his and stated that the stage fog blocked the crowd's ability to see him.
"But that was of little concern to those who seemed to forget about the very heavy baggage accompanying the performance. It was an evening to remember the greatness of Ye as he once was, and perhaps still is: imaginative, boundlessly creative and transformative," his review reads.
What did concertgoers say?
Based on several reviews of the show, the audience seemed thrilled to see Ye return to the United States, with some saying that his new "Bully" album brought them back to the "old Kanye" era, according to Millman with The Hollywood Reporter.
Ahead of the show, fans seemed willing to separate Ye's past actions from his music and ability to put on a good show.
"We know his medical history and why he has his rants, he talks about being bipolar," 32-year-old Chris Gutierrez told the Hollywood Reporter. "We're coming here more to appreciate the music."
Gutierrez said he understands why many former fans stopped listening to him after his recent controversies.
"It's hard, I get it. I come from a psych background," Gutierrez told the Hollywood Reporter. "I don't know if he was lucid enough or he wasn't. But we're here more for the music."
Julian Caratachea, 20, also emphasized separating the process of separating art from the artist to the New York Times.
"His music never did nothing to us," Caratachea told the Times, expressing excitement for Ye to do more live events. "As long as you're here for the music and you're not here just on your opinion of something, then that's all that matters. That's what's going to bring us together — the music."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ye returns to US stage after his apology. What did critics, fans think
