It seems like Kanye West’s ambition knows no limits. First a presidential campaign, then his own church, and now, reports suggest, his own city. The rapper and designer is allegedly building a kingdom in the Middle East as part of his plans to create a Yecosystem of small communities.
The ambitious project is currently called YZY DROAM. The plans for phase one of its construction were revealed yesterday, Wednesday 20 December 2023, through a website that is recruiting project managers, engineers, architects and contractors to erect the new city.
The territory for YZY DROAM was reported to be around 100,000 acres, approximately four times the size of Paris and roughly a quarter of the size of London. The city is also being described as “self-sufficient,” whatever that means.
Despite this new venture in the Middle East, this isn’t the first time Ye has shown interest in building a city, according to Geo TV.
In 2020, the rapper pursued plans to build one in Wyoming, after purchasing a 4,000-acre property and another 6,000-acre ranch a couple of months later. The first estate, Yeezy Campus, was 52 miles from Yellowstone National Park and featured eight lodging units, a horse barn and corral, a restaurant and event centre, and a go-kart track.
The second estate, Bighorn Mountain Ranch, consisted of cabins and lodges, rolling grass-covered hills, and meadows and game-filled bluffs. It was purchased in addition to a warehouse.
Although Ye remained incredibly vague about his plans for the purchased land, Hiphopdx reported that West was trying to build a “hyper-utilitarian” underground community that could accommodate 200 people and promote self-sustainable living. Nevertheless, the state allegedly shot these plans down.
In an interview with GQ, Ye noted that he saw these projects as “a paradigm shift for humanity” and said that he sees the space as a form of alternative medicine for himself. “I’m trying out a different cure than medication,” he said. “Fresh air. Fun. Inspiration. Space.”
In October 2022, Rolling Stone further reported that the artist was planning to build his own “Yecosystem” of cities, complete with branded homes, as part of his plans to create a small Ye universe. West’s team reportedly filed a slew of trademark applications for the names Yecosystem, Yzyverse, Yxyverse, and Yeezyverse that would allow West to create these mini-communities. This project has apparently been in the plans for multiple years.
“He’s trying to do sh*t that people couldn’t even conceive of and he’s trying to make it happen,” a source explained. “He comes from a good place. It’s definitely his goal that everything that people touch that’s his is a good thing and has a good impact on the world.”
And now Ye’s project is expanding to the Middle East. It will be interesting to see how far he can take his plans this time…