China’s flagging economy — and Kanye West — give each other a helping hand
LA TimesA whirlwind China tour by Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — has brought a much-needed economic boost, both to a country struggling to lift consumer spending and to a musician whose controversies have hurt his business at home. The Grammy Award-winning musician’s Sunday show in Haikou, the capital of China’s southern Hainan island province, was initially met with surprise, given China’s record of stringent controls on foreign artists. The fervor over the American rapper’s return to China after 16 years highlights the power of the “concert economy,” in which governments have courted superstar performances to attract fans and promote tourism. The Haikou government said Ye’s “Vultures Listening Experience” brought in a new high of $52.8 million in tourism revenue for the city, and that 96.5% of ticket sales were purchased by attendees from outside Hainan island. The warm reception in China also comes as a boon to Ye, who has seen ticket sales slow and brands cut ties following a string of racist and antisemitic statements over the past few years.
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