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Kanye West has given his approval for rapper Top5 to open for him during his next performance in South Korea. On May 2, Ye and Top5 appeared on a livestream to make the announcement. During a webcast, which was uploaded on Akademiks TV on X on May 2, West reportedly told Top5 that he could take the first slot, saying:
"Why not?"
The event is scheduled to happen at Incheon Munhak Stadium on May 31, 2025. It will be Kanye's first solo concert in nine years in addition to being his first appearance in Korea. Additionally, Kanye and Top5 have recently been growing closer.
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The Chicago rapper even sent the 26-year-old artist a Swastika chain on May 1, which Top5 gladly accepted. Meanwhile, Toronto rapper Top5, whose true name is Hassan Ali, was released from prison on September 23, 2024.
According to CityNewsToronto reports, on September 23, 2024, he had served more than three years in prison and had been exonerated of murder charges related to a fatal shooting in 2021.
Kanye and Top5 are currently preparing for their upcoming performance
This month marks Kanye West's debut performance in South Korea, and it appears that he has finally chosen his opening act. Both of Ye's previous performances in South Korea took place in August of last year at the "Ye x Ty Dolla Sign Vultures Listening Experience" at Goyang Stadium.
Additionally, in 2010, he performed at the hip-hop and electronic music festival Summer Week & T in Yangyang, Gangwon Province. However, the forthcoming event will be Ye's first fully concert-branded performance in South Korea.
His upcoming 12th studio album, Bully, which is scheduled for release in June, will also be featured live for the first time, providing South Korean fans with an exclusive sneak peek.
The August event last year saw Kanye performing highlights from about 77 songs. However, that was a "listening session" rather than a live performance. The experience at the May performance is expected to differ from previous events.
According to TMZ's May 2, 2025, article, Kanye allegedly questioned Top5 if the swastika would cause him to run afoul of any Jewish attorneys he might have. Top5 reportedly laughed at the idea and boasted about how they had helped him get out of his murder conviction.
The news was announced eight months after the rapper's release from prison. He had been imprisoned on the allegations of first-degree murder in connection with the 2021 shooting death of Hashim Omar Hashi.
He was additionally charged with, and freed on bail for, gun-related offences while in detention, such as possessing a firearm unlawfully. A court later dismissed the first-degree murder allegation after ruling that certain evidence, such as films, songs, and social media posts, was potentially biased.
On the other hand, Kanye has also been embroiled in numerous scandals lately. The Billboard report from February 7, 2025, reported that West sent out numerous anti-Semitic tweets.
The deleted one, which attracted a lot of interest, read:
"I'm a N*zi. I don't like or trust no Jewish person and this is completely sober with no Hennessy. You can get money with Jewish people but they always gonna steal... Jewish people actually hate white people and use black people. I love Hitler..."
Additionally, he was criticised once more after he live-tweeted President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4, according to a story from the Daily Mail on March 5, 2025. He wrote on X:
“TRUMPS ADDRESS... WOKENESS IS BAD WOKENESS IS TROUBLE ITS GONE THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP.”
Furthermore, Ye stated that he "turned down 3 photos this week with Make-A-Wish kids in wheelchairs" in an early morning statement on the same day that kicked off the all-cap tweets. This was followed by a further full embracing of antisemitic terminology.
In the meantime, Kanye hasn't provided any other details about the Korea concert as of yet.
