Rhymefest said Ye provided free admission to student leaders and community organizations as his two-night Ye Live Concert Tour stopped in Chicago.
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THE WORD
Kanye West performed two hometown shows at Soldier Field on September 3 and September 4, 2026.
Rhymefest said Ye gifted 100 tickets to Chicago Public Schools student leaders and community organizations.
The young attendees were invited to learn about Dr. Donda West’s legacy through art, design and performance.
Rhymefest co-founded the Chicago youth arts organization Donda’s House in 2013 to honor Dr. West.
Ye’s Chicago performances featured a long list of special guests, including several artists with hometown ties.
Kanye West’s return to Chicago was about more than the music. During the hometown stop of his Ye Live Concert Tour, the Chicago artist reportedly made space for young people from across the city by providing 100 free tickets to the community.
Rhymefest announced the donation in a social media post, thanking Ye for gifting tickets to student leaders from Chicago Public Schools and local community organizations.
“Epic Summertime Chi — thx @ye for gifting 100 tickets to our student leaders from @chipubschools & community orgs to learn the history of #donda — Art, design and performance,” Rhymefest wrote.
The students attended Ye’s two-show run at Soldier Field on Thursday, September 3, and Friday, September 4. The experience also connected the concert’s massive production to the history and influence of Ye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West.
Rhymefest, whose real name is Che Smith, helped co-found Donda’s House in 2013. The Chicago nonprofit was created to honor Dr. West while providing creative writing, music and arts education to young people in the city. The organization was later renamed Art of Culture following a public split between its leadership and the West family.
Ye’s Soldier Field run marked a major hometown moment for the artist. According to posts circulating from the shows, he opened the first night with “Homecoming” before welcoming surprise guests that reportedly included Twista, Big Sean and Future.
The second night expanded the celebration with a packed lineup of guests. Reports from the concert listed Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, Don Toliver, Young Thug, Chief Keef, Lupe Fiasco, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Common, Twista, Rick Ross, CyHi, GLC, Consequence and Really Doe among the performers who joined Ye during the Soldier Field finale.
The guest list brought together multiple eras of hip-hop, but Chicago remained at the center. Chief Keef, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Twista, GLC, Consequence, Really Doe and Rhymefest all represent different chapters of the city’s musical history and its connection to Ye’s career.
For the 100 students and community members invited to attend, the shows offered access to one of Chicago’s biggest music events while highlighting Dr. West’s lasting connection to education, creativity and the city’s young people.
As Rhymefest put it in his post, “Everything dope about America come from Chicago.”
