The artist formerly and possibly again known as Kanye West has revelled in support from one of his musical idols, Lauryn Hill, as he staged a sold-out southern California concert meant to mark a comeback from years of controversy.
Eleven months after releasing a song titled Heil Hitler and just more than two months after publishing an apology letter for his anti-Semitism, Ye let two decades of hits - and 70,000 screaming loyal fans - speak the loudest on Friday night at SoFi Stadium.
"I want to thank y'all for sticking by me all these years. Through the hard times, through the low times," he told the crowd.
"I love you for that."
Hill joined Ye on a stage for the first time ever for an energetic rendition of his 2004 hit All Falls Down, which originally sampled her voice.
Ye left the stage as she performed Lost Ones and Doo Wop (That Thing) before rejoining for his 2021 Doo Wop-sampling song Believe What I Say.
They hugged as she exited.
Travis Scott, CeeLo Green and Ye's tween daughter North West also strapped on safety harnesses to join Ye high above the stadium floor atop a striking half-orb stage, which alternately depicted a moon, a rotating earth and a smoking sphere throughout the two hours-plus livestreamed performance.
The first SoFi show on Wednesday, his first major US performance in nearly five years, turned out to be more of a warm-up as Ye was tentative in his rapping and drew attention to technical mishaps.
The 48-year-old released his latest album, Bully, under both the names Ye and Kanye West, at the end of March.
He dominated hip-hop and pop charts in the 2000s and early 2010s, winning 24 Grammy Awards despite public outbursts and a polarising personality.
He lost nearly all his major business partnerships and many fans after a string of controversies in the past several years including anti-Semitic remarks and social media posts.