Rapper Ye set to perform a controversial show in China this week — and many are wondering why

A Chinese official dropped a bombshell in a news briefing usually reserved for major policy announcements: Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was set to hold a "listening party" for his new "Vultures" studio album on the Chinese island of Hainan on Sept. 15.

To 33-year-old Ziteng Du, a Shanghai-based office worker, and many other Chinese fans, the idea of seeing Ye in China is beyond their wildest imagination. Many fans were dumbfounded when the straitlaced Communist Party agreed to allow one of the world's most notorious rappers to perform.

"By China's conservative social values, Ye is an outright misfit," one fan commented on Weibo, China's equivalent to X.

Now, some are wondering if tourism revenue and a desire for international recognition are at the heart of the Communist Party's decision to allow the controversial artist in.

Ye's last show in China was 16 years ago. Now he is set to return, not to Shanghai or Beijing, but to a place largely unknown to foreign visitors.

"This is Hainan trying hard to forge its branding as an international destination," said Michael Zhou, founder of Jingjian, a consultancy specializing in China tourism. Zhou said transforming Hainan into an international destination is a crucial national strategy of the central government. 

Still, he said, he believes the decision to bring Ye to Hainan is a political gamble for the local government.

Some netizens started complaining about Ye's appearance on the Hainan government's website, before the event had even been confirmed, with one comment calling Ye's works a "severe departure from Chinese socialist values."

But the local government is desperate for new growth points as domestic travel plateaus, said Zhou.

The tropical island of Hainan, dubbed the "Hawaii of China," has long been a top travel destination for domestic tourists. Last year, its tourism sector pulled in 181 billion yuan ($25.5 billion), representing roughly 24% of its total gross domestic product.

But domestic tourists are now tightening their travel purse strings, and international travelers aren't filling the gap. According to Hainan's Provincial Bureau of Statistics, foreign visitors accounted for 0.87% of the island's total tourists in the first seven months of 2024.

Tepid domestic demand also threatens the island's ambitious goal of attracting 207 billion yuan in tourism revenue, a 14% increase from 2023.

According to Zhou, the bulk of Hainan's tourism income comes from hotel stays and duty-free shopping.

But shopping plunged in 2024, spelling trouble for the economy which is betting big on revenue from duty-free stores. Hainan has the world's largest duty-free shopping mall, and the government plans to turn the entire island into a duty-free hub as early as next year.

From 2023, the number of shoppers decreased 11% across the island, while duty-free sales dropped by 30% during the first seven months of 2024, according to customs officials for Haikou, the capital city of Hainan.

A major tourism retailer on the island, CTG Duty Free posted a disappointing H1 report with a 12.8% year-on-year decrease in revenue to 31.26 billion yuan ($4.40 billion).

"As it is the largest duty-free channel in China, Hainan's duty-free sales decline is inevitable," said Charlie Chen, head of Asian Research at China Renaissance, a financial institution. He said a drop in shopper and average spending suggests that even affluent customers are controlling their spending.

Luxury shopping in China is declining, but the concert economy is experiencing a notable upturn — a trend that hasn't escaped the attention of Hainan officials.

In an official document published in May, Hainan's government pledged to award a maximum of 3 million yuan in one-off payments to companies that bring "world-class music events" to the island.

A state media op-ed later praised Hainan's efforts to use China's visa-free policies to attract high-quality music events from abroad. The article detailed the local government's efforts to make Hainan the first stop on foreign artists' tours.

The strategy worked on Du, he said. The only reason he is going to Hainan is Ye's show, he said.

Like major concerts, Ye's "listening parties" often take place in front of massive crowds. But there are differences too; the events can include live performances along with DJs playing pre-recorded mixes and audience sing-alongs. Sometimes, Ye and collaborator Ty Dolla Sign do not rap or dance at all.

Earlier this year, he canceled listening parties in Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. An event in Taiwan on Aug. 25 was also called off days before it was scheduled to occur, leaving confusion in its wake.

However, on Aug. 23, despite starting 70 minutes late, a listening party went ahead as scheduled in Seoul, South Korea.

Ye has spoken affectionately about China in the past. He defended China during the pandemic and expressed his love for the country in a 2020 interview with the New York Post.

"I love China. It changed my life. It changed my perspective; it gave me such a wide perspective. My mom, as an English professor, taught English in China when I was in 5th grade," he told the publication.

Ye has faced backlash in many parts of the world after he made antisemitic remarks in 2022, which resulted in the termination of a lucrative partnership with Adidas in October 2022.

But he may face less blowback in China, where a surge in anti-Israel sentiment swept across social media following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War.

The German Embassy in China started filtering vitriolic comments on its Weibo account and calling out users whose profile pictures connected Nazi symbols with the Israeli flag.

"It seems to me the Party doesn't care about antisemitism," said Du. "I don't care about it either. I'm not Jewish."

"Their bottom line is Tibet," he said.

Artists who have vocally supported Tibet's independence, including Björk, Oasis, and Bon Jovi, have skipped China during past tour schedules.