Kanye West has changed his name. Kanye Omari West is the name on his birth certificate. However, the rapper now has the shorter name of Ye. He has no middle name or surname. Three years ago, Ye said that he was, "the being formerly known as Kanye West". He said he changed his name for "personal reasons". He didn't explain further. He has had the nickname Ye for a long time. It is the name of his eighth album.

The website billboard.com said people in California who change their name must publish it in a newspaper. Ye did this four times in the Daily Commerce newspaper. Three years ago, he chatted to a radio host about the name Ye. He said "Ye" was from the Bible and that it means "you". He added: "I believe "ye" is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means "you". So, I'm you, I'm us, it's us."