Last Thursday, Kanye West chartered private jets and invited several music journalists, DJs and celebrities to a ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to be among the first to hear his new album, Ye. The event was live-streamed and the record was released on Friday, but the experience seems to have inspired West to host similar happenings throughout the U.S.
Early this morning, West's website was updated with video footage from his Wyoming party and ticketing links for a series of “#ProjectWyoming” events in Chicago, Miami and Brooklyn. The Chicago and Miami editions of the event are scheduled for tonight at 6pm—tickets were snapped up quickly, but fans can join a waiting list to be notified if any extras become available. The Brooklyn event will take place on June 7 at an undisclosed location (and there's no ticket link posted on West's website).
Few details were provided about the events—the location for the “Wyoming in Chicago” event hasn't even been revealed yet, though anyone lucky enough to snag a ticket should find out before 6pm. The simultaneously scheduled Miami event makes it unlikely that West will appear in-person at both parties, though Chicago is the hip-hop star's hometown. It's possible that attendees may be among the first to hear Kid Kudi's forthcoming album Kids See Ghosts, which was produced in collaboration with West and is scheduled to be released on Friday, June 8. It's also possible that West will have guests sit around a campfire and listen to an extended two-hour mix of his trolling scat track “Lift Yourself.”
“#ProjectWyoming” won't be the first time that West has brought a special event or experience to Chicago. Back in 2013, he projected the stark black and white video for “New Slaves” on the sides of buildings throughout the city, including the Art Institute and Wrigley Field. More recently, West opened a pop-up shop selling merch inspired by his album, The Life of Pablo, in the Northbrook Court shopping mall on the North Shore.
We'll find out more this evening, when “#ProjectWyoming” heads to a makeshift Chicago ranch and begin posting Instagrams of the experience.
UPDATE: According to a tweet from Julieanna Goddard, who runs the marketing agency that is putting on the events, reveals that the “#ProjectWyoming” events will be a way for guests to “experience the album the same way the 400 people in Wyoming did.” She called the parties “merch pop up bonfires,” so attendees will definitely have the opportunity to spend some cash on T-shirts, hats and more Kanye swag.