Kanye West answers questions from Sr. pastor Joel Osteen during the 11 am service at Lakewood Church on Nov. 17, 2019, in Houston.
AP Photo/Michael WykeYe is starting fresh. Followers of the artist formerly known as Kanye West were in for a surprise on Monday (Nov. 29) when the rapper’s Instagram was scrubbed clean of all photos.
Whether Ye had deleted or simply archived all of his posts was unclear, but the 9.5 million users who follow him were greeted with the message “No posts yet” on a stark white background to correspond with his blank, black profile photo.
Of course, Ye has always had a famously tempestuous relationship to social media – though it’s typically his Twitter account that gets deactivated and revived on a somewhat regular basis. In recent days, the “Praise God” rapper had used his Instagram Stories to continue his public plea to reconcile with estranged wife Kim Kardashian through a publicly broadcast Thanksgiving prayer. (“All I think about every day is how I get my family back together,” he said in the video.)
He also mourned the death of Virgil Abloh over the weekend by sharing a Sunday Service Choir performance of Adele’s latest No. 1 hit “Easy on Me” dedicated to the memory of his late friend.
Ye’s decision to wipe his social slate clean comes on the heels of his latest spate of Grammy nominations. While his long-gestating 2021 album DONDA was reportedly a late addition to the album of the year race alongside rival Taylor Swift’s Evermore, the rapper also received additional nods for best melodic rap performance (for “Hurricane” featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby), best rap song (for “Jail” featuring Jay-Z), and best rap album. (He’s also listed as a songwriter on Lil Nas X’s fellow album of the year nominee MONTERO.)
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The multi-hyphenate entertainer has scored five new certifications, including a platinum plaque for “Issues/Hold On,” which has sold over one million equivalent units in the U.S. The Kanye West-produced track is lifted from her 2018 album, K.T.S.E., which has been crowned gold for selling over 500,000 equivalent units.
Taylor’s third LP, The Album, has also reached gold status, tallying her second project to become RIAA certified. The King Combs-assisted “How You Want It,” a single from The Album, has been certified platinum.
Last, but not least, Taylor’s “Do Not Disturb” featuring Chris Brown is now gold. The steamy jam appears on her 2014 debut album, VII.
Taylor took to social media to celebrate her new RIAA updates. “Father God I thank you and I praise you in the name of Jesus. Thank You for showing patience with me, your kindness, grace & mercy every day. Your mercies never cease,” she wrote in a caption for her photo of her with her new plaques.
She continued, “Father God, please continue to instruct and teach me as I continue my faith walk. Thank you for keeping my head high to keep my crown from falling. I love you. Thank you for reminding me the wait is not punishment, it was preparation. Thank you to everyone involved with helping me bring these albums and songs to life. I am filled with much gratitude! WE PLATINUM & GOLD YALL.”
In other news, Taylor just released her new single “Long Time.” It’s the first offering from her upcoming album Escape Room, which will be accompanied by a short film. Taylor directed and produced the visual under her production company, The Aunties. It co-stars LaKeith Stanfield and Aaron Pierre, who appear in the video for “Long Time” as well.
Further, Taylor joined Ciara on her “Ecstasy (Remix)” alongside Normani. “When Ci hit me about jumping on this remix, it was an automatic yes,” Taylor said. “To be a part of this moment with two queens I love so much! Not only do I get to call Ciara and Normani my friends I get to call them my sisters! That’s black girl magic. We bringing the sensual, the sisterhood, and the soul. Let’s go!”
Taylor stars in Tyler Perry’s new drama Straw, now streaming on Netflix, alongside Taraji P. Henson and Sherri Shepherd.
