Ye Receives Criticism for Not Actually Performing During Rolling Loud California Headliner

For their Rolling Loud California headlining set, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign stood on stage without mics for an hour with the pre-recorded music for their VULTURES album playing in the background. Many fans were confused as the official announcement of late-added performance was unspecific, but did claim that “Vultures headlining new Thursday night.” This post has since been deleted but most fan expected a performance rather than a listening party — especially if it was sold to festival goers as a headliner.

Ye showed up in his now-signature hockey mask and appeared to roam the stage like he would for his listening parties for the hour that his album played. Following the “performance,” if one can call it that, the duo left the stage leaving just a DJ behind to play some of Ye’s best hits from his career. The two later defending their Rolling Loud performance in an interview with Big Boy TV stating, “It’s still better than other people’s shows that have a mic.” The duo claims that the “show” in itself was the lighting effect and smoke that audiences will see on the stage. They firmly believe that people will attend the show just for the “experience.”

The choice to not perform was met with critics across social media who called it a “scam.” Variety spoke to those close to the performance and said that the festival also “expected a more conventional performance…and even erected a special stage with a circular lighting rig for the set.” Those who purchased “Thursday-only” tickets for the three-day festival were sorely disappointed. This comes after many fans of the festival criticized Rolling Loud for having Ye back in the first place due to his past antisemitic remarks. The show had a similar format as his recent public album-listening sessions where Ye and Ty Dolla $ign took to the stage without actually performing. Both were dressed in dark hooded outfits and left immediately after the album played. Take a look at what some fans had to say below.

This was me when I saw ye and ty walk out with no mic in hand pic.twitter.com/gFl8oY276V

— Angel (@anguer78) March 15, 2024

Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign speak on performing their listening experiences without a microphone.

“It’s still better than other people shows that have a mic.”
pic.twitter.com/hi2N3dNMoc

— XXL Magazine (@XXL) March 15, 2024

Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign after fleecing Rolling Loud pic.twitter.com/VHjItKAYSM

— ۟ (@luvhartxx) March 15, 2024

They’re saying Kanye just walked around the rolling loud stage and played vultures songs instead of just performing pic.twitter.com/rBsdSunD1Z

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 15, 2024

Scammer

— chrxs (@chrxsafc) March 15, 2024

So is Kanye ever gonna perform vultures and drop this listening party bullshit…… people paying 180$ to just listen to a song play thru speakers at rolling loud is crazy 😂 pic.twitter.com/eCJjy7KWR9

— Manu (@ManuDaGoat) March 15, 2024

no stream + no mics is so bad how do you allow this 😭

— stouty (@hamsterbone36) March 15, 2024