Kanye West cancels 21 remaining tour dates after Trump controversy
Kanye West has canceled the rest of his Saint Pablo Tour after two controversial concerts, according to a source familiar with the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly.
Tickets for the canceled shows will be fully refunded at the point of sale.
The 39-year-old rapper was due to play Fresno, Calif., on Tuesday, with 20 more concerts scheduled through the end of the year in major cities including Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Boston. The tour was set to end with a two-night stint at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Dec. 30 and 31.
News of the tour's cancellation comes just a day after West called off his Sunday night show in Inglewood, Calif. The concert was scheduled to be a makeup for his Nov. 3 performance, which was cut short when he lost his voice.
West raised eyebrows Thursday night at his show in San Jose, Calif., when he told concertgoers that he didn't vote in the presidential election, but he "would've voted on Trump." He continued to applaud Trump's campaign approach as "absolutely genius" and confirm that he was still considering a presidential run for 2020, which he famously announced during last year's MTV Video Music Awards.
He fanned the flames Saturday night with his stop in Sacramento, when he ranted about Beyoncé, alleging that the pop star wouldn't have performed at this year's VMAs had her video, Formation, not been awarded video of the year. He went on to criticize Jay Z, Hillary Clinton, Mark Zuckerberg and radio stations, the latter for not giving air time to artists such as Frank Ocean and Kid Cudi, who joined him onstage.
West ended Saturday's show after 30 minutes, drawing ire from many fans in attendance and on social media.
The polarizing hip-hop star, who released his seventh album The Life of Pablo in February, has had mixed success with live performances this year. His headlining set at New York's Governors Ball music festival in June was canceled due to inclement weather. He closed out The Meadows Music & Arts Festival in New York last month, only to cut his set short due to a "family emergency" (the robbery of his wife, Kim Kardashian-West, during Paris Fashion Week).
West launched his Saint Pablo Tour in late August, earning positive reviews for his innovative use of a "floating stage." The rapper sold out all 22 shows he played this fall, raking in $30.3 million, according to BoxScore. Before the tour's cancellation, ticket prices for his New Year's Eve show in Brooklyn averaged a whopping $295 on resale sites, MusicTimes.com reports.
