Atlanta Declares July 22 as Kanye West Day
The Grammy winner was honored in the city of his birth along with his late mother, Donda, who taught at an HBCU.
Kanye West unveiled his 10th studio album, Donda during a listening party Thursday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. After the event, Ye was honored by the city with a Kanye West Day.
The City of Atlanta presented a plaque to the hip-hop star backstage. While West has always repped Chicago as his hometown, he was born in Atlanta and the city officially proclaimed July 22 Kanye West Day.
Yeezy’s latest album was named after his mother, Donda West, who died in 2007 at the age of 58 following plastic surgery complications.
For his listening party, the rapper-producer gifted 5,000 tickets to faculty, staff, and students from some Atlanta HBCUs including Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, and the Interdenominational Theological Center.
Additionally, Morris Brown College President Kevin James was on hand at Ye’s album listening festivities and also paid tribute to his mother. Donda taught at the HBCU for nearly two decades and was chair of the English department.
According to reports, James presented an award to Kanye called the Dr. Donda West Meritorious Service to Morris Brown College.