Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) will return to Mexico this week, nearly 18 years after his distant debut in the Latin American country. His Mexico City visit will take place just four days after the controversial hip hop star published a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal on Monday (Jan. 26) apologizing for antisemitic comments that sparked harsh criticism over the years.
The rapper stated that his apology “isn’t about reviving my commerciality” ahead of the release of his new album, Bully, in an interview published by Vanity Fair on Tuesday (Jan. 27). His mea culpa also comes ahead of his major return to the stage, with two shows scheduled for this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 30 and 31) at La México (formerly the Monumental Plaza de Toros México), which will be streamed on the ViX Premium platform.
Among the names of artists mentioned on social media who could accompany him is Travis Scott and regional Mexican superstar Peso Pluma, with whom the American rapper is rumored to have recorded a song. The speculation arose after Peso Pluma published a photo of himself with Ye on Instagram on Dec. 31.
“Ye is known for bringing unexpected guests to the stage, and with his recent collaboration with Peso Pluma, fans are wondering if he could be one of them,” Andrés Charvel, promoter of Ye’s concerts in Mexico, tells Billboard Español. “Nothing is confirmed, just rumors, excitement, and imagination.”
If Peso Pluma’s participation comes to fruition, it would be the first time in almost two years that Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija (his real name) would perform on stage in Mexico, following his last show in September 2024 as part of his Éxodo Tour.
In an interview with Billboard Español, Charvel discusses how he, at just 29 years old, became Ye’s youngest promoter through his company 515 Entertainment. He also discusses the accomplishment of bringing Ye back to Mexico for two shows with 35,000 attendees each, as well as the challenges of staging a global-scale production at a venue that until a year ago was the world’s largest bullring, and his future plans with the American rapper, including producing more shows for him.
How does one book an artist known for his artistic innovation but also for his controversial personality?
Signing Ye in Mexico wasn’t an exclusive offer; several promoters were interested, from the most well-known to some independents. As an independent promoter, I’m not backed by a major company like Live Nation or a bank, so I was asked to present a business case. We conducted a pre-registration before tickets went on sale. We expected 70,000 to 80,000 registrations, but we had nearly 300,000. That confirmed for us that there’s still a high demand to see an artist on stage who has defined an entire generation. That opened the doors with him.
We’re about to announce two more dates with Ye for this year outside of Mexico. Potentially one of them will be in Spain, and in the coming days, we’ll reveal the other location.
What has been the biggest challenge in producing two shows for Ye?
I’d say one of the biggest challenges for these concerts, among the many there are, was dealing with speculation and rumors due to ticketing policies (with Superboletos) and because it’s an artist like Kanye. Unfortunately, there were some cancellations unrelated to the artist, in Brazil and South Africa.
As a global artist, was the GNP Seguros Stadium an option?
The GNP Seguros Stadium is available to any promoter, but with OCESA’s packed calendar within their venue, it’s very difficult for external promoters to work with them. Initially, we considered the Fray Nano Stadium, a smaller venue, but after seeing the response, promoter friends suggested I reach out to the directors of La México. We met with its director, Mario Zulaica, who listened to the project, trusted me, helped me, and here we are.
What do you expect from these two shows?
Ye will break all the records at La México. The operations overseen by Mario Zulaica — despite the restrictions of an old venue without much parking within a residential area of the city — have achieved something no one else could. Thanks to that, the venue has gained momentum with high-caliber events like Junior H, Christian Nodal, Alfredo Olivas and Swedish House Mafia.
And what does Ye expect from his return to Mexico?
There is a lot of anticipation for these shows. They are the most important concerts of Ye’s new era.
