Why is Kanye West Performing in Russia?

Hey, remember when Kanye West offered a very brief and half-baked apology for his antisemitism, just so he could relaunch his career with little to no pushback from his fans? He said sorry for all of the Nazi stuff so it’s okay, guys. Well, to the surprise of literally nobody, Ye has found a new way to suck. He’s going to perform two shows in St Petersburg this October, becoming the most well-known western star to play in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine four years ago. Soz about the swastika merch, guys, but the hot new thing is legitimizing the Putin regime!

He is set to perform on 10 and 11 October at St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena. According to The Guardian, “nearly all of the most expensive tickets, costing upwards of $1,850, were snapped up within hours.” While some American and “Western” artists have performed in Russia in recent years, it’s not exactly the pick of the crop. The lion’s share of performers and their management have boycotted the country. Those who have crossed the border include Jason Derulo and Flo Rida.

West has found it tough to get gigs in Europe. Despite sold-out concerts at home, attended by big name supporters like Dave Chappelle, he’s faced pushback in places like Britain and France. Planned concerts in London were cancelled after threats of boycotts. The same fate befell events in Italy. He has found a more receptive audience in Turkey, where a record-breaking 118,000 fans came to see him rap in Istanbul. He also performed a sold-out show in Almaty, Kazakhstan. But Russia still feels like a line crossed, right?

It is, alas, not uncommon for musicians to take money from corrupt countries or dictators. They’ve all done it, whether it’s Beyoncé reportedly receiving $2 million to perform a private New Year’s Eve concert for the son of Muammar Gaddafi or Sting getting £1 million for a a show organised by Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Islam Karimov, the dictator who controlled Uzbekistan for 27 years. Jennifer Lopez sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Turkmenistan’s leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, during a concert hosted by a Chinese oil firm in 2013. Plenty of stars lent their culture-washing prowess to events like the Qatar World Cup or Red Sea Film Festival for the right price. And, of course, there’s the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Kanye’s gigs don’t seem to be part of a Putin party, but the cultural boycott was in place for a reason.

But he may not find an entirely supportive response in Russia. Some are pushing back against the idea of welcoming Western influence into the country, and one politician, Nikolay Novichkov, told the Russian outlet Ostorozhno Novosti that the concerts should be cancelled unless the singer publicly expresses “moral support for Russia and the special military operation.” Still, his presence in the country will probably be used by the regime for its own benefit. I feel like we’re only months away from seeing a Ye/Vlad selfie or judo contest.

This, of course, won’t stop Ye’s fans from being his biggest defenders. They like that he’s a bigoted and corrupt sleazeball whose music hasn’t been good in years.