It hasn’t been the smoothest year for Kanye West, but his efforts to repair the damage caused over the past few years appear to be paying off to some extent. Ye has been touring globally, selling out stadiums across the United States and internationally despite facing intense scrutiny throughout the journey. His anti-Semitic remarks have undoubtedly affected his legacy, but they haven’t stopped him from receiving major recognition in some of the states he has visited.
Most recently, Ye took the stage in Texas, where the state made a point of showing him appreciation during his time in Houston. State Representative Ron Reynolds presented the rapper with the Global Icon Award and disclosed that a special flag had been flown over the Texas State Capitol in honor of the Chicago-born artist.
“This flag was flown over our Capitol in Austin for none other than Kanye West. We’re so honored to have him in H-Town where we’re showing him mad love and respect,” he said.
The Houston concert proved to be one of the standout moments of Ye’s global tour. Taking the stage at Reliant Stadium, the rapper drew a crowd of 80,210 fans, setting a new record for the largest attendance at a hip-hop concert in the U.S. This surpasses the previous record he established earlier this year, when he sold 74,000 tickets for each night of his two-night performance at SoFi Stadium.
Adding to the excitement, Ye also had some unexpected faces in the audience. Travis Scott was spotted with Drake, who famously had a falling-out with Kanye West several years ago, leading to a complicated relationship between them ever since. Ye even gave Drake a shout-out during the show, which could be an encouraging indication that the two might collaborate on music down the line. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but hopefully, their past issues are behind them.
