The first details of a mysterious new documentary about Kanye West have emerged, including its title and a first-look image.
The project about the rapper, producer and fashion designer has reportedly been in the works for the last six years and is set to air a promotional screening on 7 November.
Titled In Whose Name?, it promises to offer “a unique and cinematic perspective on Ye’s public transformation”, Variety reports.
West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, is described by showrunners as “the world’s most controversial artist”.
While it was reported that they are keen to keep details of the contents under wraps, the “controversy” likely refers to a spate of public storms, from his divorce from Kim Kardashian to his feud with pop star Taylor Swift, an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2020 and the antisemitic outbursts that caused him to lose a number of lucrative sponsorships and contracts.
Variety reports that the synopsis reads, in part: “With a billion-dollar budget and a commitment to truth, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, invites 18-year-old Nicolas Ballesteros armed with an iPhone on a six-year journey revealing unfiltered aspects of celebrity life, which confront the provocative opinions, grand visions and bold contrarianism that defined him as the world’s most controversial artist.
“The film follows Ye’s ascent to becoming the richest Black man in American history while uncovering why the superstar risked everything he had built in the name of freedom.”
The documentary is currently in post-production, with Ballesteros as co-producer with Jack M Russel and Shy Ranje.
Ballesteros’s IMDb page describes him as “a fly on the wall behind closed doors… His discernment and stealth with the camera has allowed him to capture corners of the spiritual, psychological and historical zeitgeist of American pop culture in the 21st century.”
More updates about the film and its planned release are expected to be announced soon.
Earlier this week, representatives for sportswear brand Adidas said the company had reached a settlement with West, ending their dispute over its decision to terminate their partnership in 2022.
“There aren’t any more open issues, and there is no money going either way,” chief executive officer Bjorn Gulden said during a quarterly earnings call, according to Bloomberg.
“Both parties said we don’t need to fight anymore and withdrew all the claims.
“When you have conflicts like this, you take provisions and you have legal opinions and there are negotiations and there are settlements being done, and this is the end to it.
“No one owes anybody anything anymore. So whatever was is history.”
Adidas terminated its partnership with West in late 2022 after he made a series of antisemitic remarks during interviews and on social media.
In a statement at the time, Adidas called the remarks “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous” and said they “violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness”.
It has also been rumoured that West has divorced his partner Bianca Censori, whom he married a month after his divorce from Kardashian was finalised.
