Kanye West Planned Return to Russia Plunged Into Chaos as St Petersburg Venue Denies Any Contract

American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, had been hit with an unexpected roadblock for his planned concerts in St. Petersburg, Russia. Gazprom Arena, where Ye was supposed to perform, denied having ever signed a contract to host his performance.

Gazprom Arena had previously posted on social media that 'the most influential musical artist of our time' would perform at their venue on 10 and 11 October. 'This is no joke!' the post added. The event sold out quickly afterwards, with tickets priced around £1390 ($1896).

Gazprom Arena withdrew promotion for the event a week later, detailing the lack of a contract to hold it in a social media post.

'In light of the numerous inquiries received by Gazprom Arena regarding the organisation of a Kanye West concert, we hereby officially state: Gazprom arena was not, and is not, the organiser of this event. That role was handled by the Moscow-based concert agency Say Agency.

'Gazprom Arena has not signed any contracts to lease the stadium for this event. No such contract exists. Consequently, the concert cannot take place at our venue.'

Ye's Agency Insists Russia Concert 'Has Not Been Cancelled'

In spite of the venue's statement, Ye's Moscow-based concert agency, Say Agency, insists that the concert has not been cancelled. The agency was surprised, as they received the announcement at the same time as the public.

According to Say Agency, they announced the concert after Gazprom Arena approved an 'official letter', but that the rental contract had not been signed ahead of its expiry later this week. They added that they were 'trying to contact the venue to find the reason for this post and resolve the issue'.

'We want to assure you that the concert has not been canceled. Preparations are proceeding as planned, and the dates remain listed on the artist's official website.'

The Controversy Surrounding Ye and His Concerts

The conflict surrounding Ye's Russia concert is just one of many controversies that the rapper had been dealing with in his attempts to restore his public image. The rapper had gone under fire for making racist, anti-semitic, and pro-Nazi comments.

While many fans rushed to buy the tickets to his Russia concert, there had already been pushback from critics both inside and outside Russia.

Russian politician Nikolay Novichkov called for Ye to be investigated following his remarks for praising Hitler on live television. He also said his concerts should be cancelled unless he publicly declared 'moral support for Russia and the special military operation'.

Legislator Vitaly Milonov said Ye should perform traditional Russian songs at the concerts. 'Maybe after this he'll stop his disgusting antics and become a normal person'. he said.

Ye had also recently been banned from entering the United Kingdom after his visa application was denied, with the government citing that 'his presence would not be conducive to the public good.'

Say Agency previously released a statement in support of West before the concert dispute. 'Not everything Kanye West said should be forgotten. Many people are talking about Kanye today. Many are trying to criticise him for words spoken during difficult times. But it's easy to judge based on a single statement. It's more difficult to listen to a person who has been changing the industry for decades. We listened, and we want to remind you.'

Ye's newest album, Bully, released earlier this March, and he had recently performed in the US, Turkey, the Netherlands, and several other countries to promote it. It is still unclear whether Ye would be allowed to perform in Russia.