Kanye West has allegedly arrived in Moscow to celebrate the birthday of a Russian designer.
The Grammy-award-winning rapper reportedly made the trip with wife Bianca Censori. It is the latest in their couple’s vacations, which have included stops in Paris, Dubai, and Tokyo.
Russian media have been celebrating Kanye West’s arrival in Moscow, with rumors of a concert in autumn; however, his alleged trip there has met mixed reactions.
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Is Kanye West In Moscow, Russia?
Russian media has published reports that Kanye West is in Moscow. If true, he would be the first major Western star to visit Moscow since the country started its war against Ukraine two years ago.
Footage from Russian media outlets allegedly shows West in the Moscow subway. According to the Moskvichka showbiz outlet, West visited the city to celebrate the birthday of Russian designer Gosha Rubchinsky. However, the rapper has no plans for a concert.
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Other videos allegedly show West after arriving by private plane, with reports that he’s staying at the Four Seasons Hotel Moscow, a five-star hotel close to the Kremlin.
The “Good Morning” rapper also reportedly saw the Kremlin and Red Square from a viewing platform on the roof of the GUM department store.
Since the news of his trip, many people have taken to social media to speculate on whether the rapper has other motives for being in the country. Some have also claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that his presence there is to help make Russia “look normal.”
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Famous Russian producer Yana Rudkovskaya was among the big media names celebrating West’s alleged visit to Russia.
According to the Daily Mail, she said, “Kanye West is already in Moscow! This is super news! Staying in the very heart of the capital! Fingers crossed for the show at Luzhniki! [stadium].”
Rudkovskaya had previously claimed that West would travel to Moscow for a concert scheduled for autumn and claimed to be involved in its organization. However, there were immediate denials of an imminent concert by Luzhniki Stadium, the alleged venue for the performance.
A major media outlet, Putin-controlled station RIA Novosti, celebrated West’s arrival in Moscow. Popular war channel Zvezda, which is widely considered a mouthpiece for the Russian defense ministry, also reported the story.”
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Kanye West’s Alleged Presence In Russia Was Also Met With Criticism
If the news of West’s Russia trip is confirmed, his decision to visit the country would be a huge boost for President Vladimir Putin’s regime and ongoing propaganda war. However, there are still mixed opinions on whether the Yeezy founder should be welcomed into Russia.
One Putin backer, Ekaterina Mizulina, previously insisted that West should not be encouraged to visit Russia. She said, “We don’t need any Kanye West with his naked woman. We have enough of our own ‘naked’ parties.”
However, another faction of Putin loyalists insists that West’s performance in Russia would be a huge triumph.
Tina Kandelaki, a TV presenter and media manager who supports Putin, previously spoke about the excitement surrounding West’s possible visit. She said, “Kanye will soon be with us… Our Russian brands are already sewing swimsuits with a fleece for the wife of the outrageous musician.”
Kandelaki also claimed to all rival broadcasters that she had secured the rights to a possible Kanye West Moscow tour for her TV channel. She said, “I want to warn you that all rights to a possible broadcast of the concert are already in the hands of TNT, do not try to lure our overseas comrade to your camp.”
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The Rapper Was Recently Sued By His Former Employees
The rapper’s arrival in Moscow comes amid a lawsuit by former Yeezy employees accusing him and his former chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, of promoting a toxic work environment and making them work for “insanely long hours.”
According to TMZ, the disgruntled employees, who included adults and minors as young as 14, were hired as developers to work on West’s YZYVSN streaming service app, which he wanted to use to promote his new albums, “Vultures” and “Vultures 2.”
They were reportedly promised $120,000 in pay if they “completed the app,” and they “agreed to the work conditions,” and didn’t “complain.”
However, they were allegedly forced to sign non-disclosure agreements out of the blue under the threat of losing their jobs and not being paid. Meanwhile, the employees who were minors were required to sign “volunteer” agreements, implying they would receive no pay regardless of their contributions.
