Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is set to take the stage at Raymond James Stadium on June 26 and 28. ORACLE GRAPHIC/CAROLINA MOLERO ROCA

Rapper and producer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is bringing his “Ye Live Concert Tour” to Raymond James Stadium on June 26 and June 28, placing one of music’s most influential — and controversial — artists just minutes from USF’s Tampa campus.

West, known as Ye, was born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, first gained recognition as a producer for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records before launching a successful solo career in 2004, according to Billboard.

He is known for songs such as Gold Digger, Stronger and Carnival, according to Billboard.

Over the past two decades, he has earned multiple Grammy Awards, with Forbes recognizing him as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Ye’s tour, spanning the United States and Europe, was announced in March 2026 and began on April 1 in Los Angeles, California, and is set to conclude on Sept. 4 in Chicago. 

He initially was only set to perform on June 26, but a June 28 concert date was added in late May due to “overwhelming” ticket demand, according to a Raymond James Stadium Instagram post.

On May 26, Kurrco, a hip-hop news updates page, said more than 1 million people were waiting to reserve tickets to Ye’s Tampa shows. 

But despite his popularity, Ye has also faced criticism for antisemitic statements — including statements on social media perpetuating Jewish stereotypes and comments praising Adolf Hitler, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

As the concert dates approach, USF students said they feel divided between admiration for Ye’s musical legacy and concern over the controversies that surround him.

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Those controversies have also led some public officials, such as Florida Senator Rick Scott, to question whether taxpayer-supported venues should host his performances.

Scott wrote a letter to the Tampa Sports Authority — the manager of Raymond James Stadium — on June 4, saying that “platform[ing] a hateful person pushing evil ideologies is not a Florida value.”

“Letting [Ye] perform in a publicly funded venue in Tampa would effectively give him, and everything he’s done, the Florida taxpayers’ seal of approval,” Scott said in a post on X.

Some USF students said they felt that while they enjoy the music, Ye has had too many controversies to give him a platform through the concert.

Umesh Mohann, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said he will not be attending the concert, though he appreciates Ye’s music.

“Some of the things he’s said have crossed a line for me,” Mohan said. “I’m not sure I can separate the artist from his comments.”

Mohan said ticket prices and “drama” surrounding the artist have made the idea of the experience feel less engaging to him.

“It makes it harder to justify going, even if you enjoy some of his music,” he said.

Related: USF students prepare to welcome hometown star Doechii to Tampa

Still, other students, including Corbin Boehm, a sophomore business advertising major, said they plan to attend Ye’s concert for the musical experience.

Boehm said he is attending Ye’s June 28 concert and is excited to watch the performance. 

“I am very excited not only personally, but for the city of Tampa to get such a high-profile hip-hop star to come and perform at Raymond James,” Boehm said.

And while Boehm is aware of Ye’s controversial nature and past, he said Ye still has a large fanbase because of his music. 

“You can tell he has an audience here too, that also is anticipating his arrival to Florida since he had to announce a second show here, which I am lucky enough to go to,” he said.

Boehm said that when he entered the Ticketmaster queue to reserve a ticket, he was the 110,000th person in line. 

“[I] surely thought I was a goner,” he said. “However, somehow, I made my way up through the queue and was able to purchase myself a ticket.”

He said that he has been a fan of Ye since he was about 12 years old, and that Ye was one of his first introductions to the hip-hop genre. 

“I am so excited to hear some of the classic Kanye that I love and miss so much and to be able to say that I got to see him live,” Boehm said.