Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has a documentary in the works. A promo reel of the Chicago lyricist’s In Whose Name? is expected to premiere at the American Film Market (AFM) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday (Nov. 7).
The film, which reportedly has a budget of a billion dollars, will follow Ye’s journey to becoming among the richest Black men in America in addition to “uncovering why the superstar risked everything he had built in the name of freedom.”
Directed by Nicolas Ballesteros, who followed the rapper around with an iPhone for the past six years, viewers can look forward to the project exploring “overlapping influences of corporate exploitation, racial complexities and psychological struggles inherent in the American dream,” all of which the “POWER” hitmaker has dealt with in recent times.
Goodfellas’ Head of Sales Eva Diederix and Marie Zeniter, vice president of sales at Utopia, said in a joint statement that the upcoming release will offer an “unfiltered view without narration” of the artist’s life. “It invites audiences to draw their own conclusions on themes of fame, religion and power,” read the release, per Variety. “We believe audiences globally deserve the chance to witness how one of the world’s most influential figures navigates the complexities and contradictions of celebrity.”
In Whose Name? was produced by Ballesteros alongside Jack M. Russell and Shy Ranje, with Justin Staple — who previously directed 2020’s American Rapstar — serving as co-executive producer. The film is expected to debut in 2025.
In Whose Name? certainly won’t be the first documentary fans have gotten from Ye. In 2022, “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” arrived on Netflix with over two decades of footage on the multifaceted musician and designer’s life and career courtesy of Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah.
Outside of the film, Ye is also preparing to release his next solo album, BULLY. Though not much is known about the LP at the moment, he gave fans a taste of what to expect with singles like “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” and “PREACHER MAN.”
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