Religion/ Spirituality

Kanye West's appearance at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston Sunday will be the most important appearance Ye has made since devoting himself to God, and there's such a demand for tickets we've learned scalpers have reared their ugly heads.

Kanye will have all eyes on him Sunday morning when he takes the stage with Joel Osteen -- which normally isn't an issue -- except this time, the crowd won't be full of Yeezy fans.

Kanye is set to take part in Joel's 11 AM ceremony at Lakewood Church Sunday and will chat with Joel for 20-30 mins about his religious journey. It'll mark the first time Kanye's talked about his religious transformation in front of a large audience -- 45,000 people!!!

Joel's 11 AM service will mostly be made up of his regular churchgoers, and not droves of Kanye fans like at Ye's Sunday Service ... so for Kanye, this is uncharted territory.

Our sources say he's excited to share his message and journey with a room that not only includes Joel but those who have had their own religious awakenings.

As for the service Sunday night -- when Kanye's choir will perform -- we're told both Kanye and Joel's teams expect a crowd made up of mostly Yeezy faithful. TMZ broke the story ... Lakewood teamed up with Ticketmaster to coordinate ticket distribution.

Our sources say scalpers are already trying to mess things up. The tickets are free, but some have already been scooped up by people who just want to make a buck. We're told the tickets they have identified as being held by scalpers have been invalidated.

Kanye West is breaking ground on his very own amphitheater on his sprawling Wyoming ranch ... TMZ has confirmed.

Kanye and Park County, Wyoming officials are already deep into communications about the project -- and in docs, obtained by TMZ, Ye says he wants to build a 70,684-square-foot amphitheater. Photos from the site show he's already moved large amounts of land, apparently clearing a footprint.

Kanye describes the facility as the "West Meditation Space Large Impact Structure."

In the latest docs, County officials inform Kanye he'll have to construct 175 parking spaces, but the State says he could get an exemption to reduce that number in half. Kanye says in his application he does not intend to bring any utilities on the property -- no electricity or plumbing. Sooo ... strictly a port-a-potty situation?

Kanye says the facility will be open-air, the amphitheater will be a circular, concrete design with the ground sloping downhill towards the center of the circle. Sounds like a theater-in-the-round.

It's interesting ... the Park County Planning and Zoning Department is pushing back on some things, they submitted docs asking for more information on the impact construction would have on local wildlife. Officials are suggesting Ye avoid construction in winter months because it would disrupt local wildlife migration patterns.

Kanye West brought the soulful sounds of his Sunday Service choir to prisoners in Texas just days before his face-to-face with Joel Osteen.

Law enforcement sources tell us Kanye and his choir showed up at the Harris County Jail in Houston Friday morning to put on a show. We're told the whole thing was a surprise to almost everyone, with only a few who helped to put it together.

Our sources say Kanye and the team stayed for a couple of hours and performed for a select group of prisoners and staff members.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye will make an appearance and chat with Joel Osteen Sunday at Osteen's Lakewood Church service. Sunday night, Kanye and his Sunday Service choir will take the stage at Lakewood for a performance of their own.

Osteen's team has been working feverishly behind the scenes, teaming up with Ticketmaster to make sure everyone -- Kanye fans and churchgoers alike -- get a chance to see the performance.

Originally Published -- 12:37 PM PT

Kanye West's appearance at Joel Osteen's megachurch this Sunday is expected to draw overflow crowds ... and the folks at Lakewood Church are scrambling to avoid pandemonium.

We've learned the Church has contacted Ticketmaster and will offer tickets Friday for the first 45,000 takers. It will be strictly first come, first served, and the tickets are free.

Here's the catch. Tickets will only be available for the evening service, where Kanye and his choir will perform their already iconic Sunday Service. As we've first reported, there's an earlier service at 11 AM, where Ye will walk up to the pulpit and have a 20- to 30-minute conversation with Osteen. The 11 AM service will not be ticketed ... the first 45,000 who arrive get seated.

As for what Osteen will talk to Kanye about ... we're told the focus is how Ye found and embraced God.

As for Kanye's Sunday night Sunday Service ... our sources say Osteen's church provides top-of-the-line sound and lighting equipment but might need to find a way to make its stage bigger to accommodate the rapper's 100+ choir members. One source says the choir will be 120 strong.

We're also told the church has an overflow room if the crowd's too big ... and it will almost certainly be utilized.

Kanye West may have his biggest audience yet for a Sunday Service, because we've learned he's agreed to take the stage for Joel Osteen's incredibly popular Sunday ritual.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ye and Joel have been talking fairly regularly recently ... they've become friends, especially since Kanye has doubled down in his devotion to God.

We're told the plan is for Kanye to show up at Joel's 11 AM service in Houston this coming Sunday at the Lakewood Church. Kanye will walk up to the pulpit and have a conversation with Joel that will last between 20 and 30 minutes.

Our sources say Joel wants his congregation -- which stands 45,000 strong -- and his TV audience -- which stands at 10 million in the U.S. alone -- to hear how Kanye has overcome significant adversity in his life.

As one source put it, "Kanye used to be about nothing greater than himself. Now it's all about a higher power." BTW, Kanye has echoed this sentiment before. We're told Joel will ask Kanye to contrast his life then and now.

We're told Kanye will not perform at the 11 AM service, but Joel has other services later in the day so it's possible Kanye would stick around. He doesn't seem to go anywhere on Sundays without his choir, so it would not be at all surprising if they show up in H-Town this weekend!

BTW ... the service will be broadcast live on SiriusXM.

Kanye West knows what's going to put him in the Oval Office in 2024 -- he's reaffirming his plans to run while revealing his platform and a name change ... a huge one.

Kanye dropped bombshell after bombshell Thursday in NYC, where he spoke at the Fast Company Innovation Festival. Seated next to Yeezy designer Steven Smith ... Ye told the crowd, matter-of-factly, he will be running for Prez.

Watch the video, because he didn't get the reaction he was expecting ... at all. The audience laughed, and Kanye stared back with a deadpan look and said, "What y'all laughing at?"

He went on to make the point that by 2024, Yeezy brand "will have created so many jobs, I'm not gonna run [for President], I'll walk." There was an uncomfortable silence following that, and he went on to say celebrities are terrified to speak their minds, including himself.

He admitted his wife, Kim Kardashian West -- who was in the audience -- would probably tell him later he was too outspoken at the event.

Ye also complained about Forbes' reluctance to label him a billionaire and announced he'll change his name to "Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West" ... just to stick it to the outlet.

Kanye West is touring to promote his new album -- sort of -- and his latest stop was a fancy clothing store in NYC ... to premiere a new music vid.

Kanye rented out the Burberry off 5th Ave Wednesday night for a special screening of his brand new vid for "Follow God" ... and it was a pretty star-studded affair. Kim Kardashian was there with him, of course ... but so were A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator.

At one point, Kanye addressed the small crowd and talked about buying land in America as a black man. As you know, he dropped millions to buy a huge ranch in Wyoming in September ... the property is 4,500 acres!!!

He and Kim also joked about what to name some of the horses that come with the ranch ... Rocky and Tyler had suggestions.

Earlier in the evening, our photog got Kanye as he was leaving The Museum of Modern Art and asked if Sunday Service will ever be a televised broadcast ... and he gave an emphatic "yes."

He also shook some hands and signed some autographs after midnight as he and Kim left the Burberry event.

Kim also shared a longer clip of the "Follow God" music video on her Instagram ... as you can see, it looks like it was filmed on the ranch.

Kanye West says Jesus has freed him from the clutches of the Democratic Party, which he claims has brainwashed the black community into aborting children.

The rapper made the controversial remark during an interview with radio personality Big Boy about politics, his new album and black culture. While Kanye's already been widely accused of abandoning the culture -- due to his support for President Trump -- he doubled down by telling Big Boy ... African-Americans don't really have their own culture.

He said it's adopted from a mishmash of consumerism, pushed by Dems to keep black folks trapped -- as opposed to encouraging entrepreneurship and self-ownership ... a traditionally GOP philosophy.

Then came the really inflammatory comment about Dems. Ye said on Friday ... the political party has brainwashed his people to do unholy things, like Plan B birth control and encouraging the abortion of babies. He followed up by saying, "Thou shall not kill."

He also says Democrats have backed policies for decades that have hurt the black community, and he simply isn't falling in line anymore ... backlash be damned.

Ansel Elgort had one of the best seats in the house to see Kanye West's first Sunday Service following the release of his new album ... and the dude was stoked!

Ansel was among the thousands to pack The Forum Sunday in Inglewood to watch the more than 2-hour show. Ansel certainly didn't hesitate to dance his heart out.

Elgort wasn't alone, most of the crowd was up and dancing the whole show ... and considering the feel-good vibes of Kanye's new record, "Jesus Is King," ya can't really blame him. As we reported, Kanye had Kenny G on hand to perform his sax solo for "Use This Gospel" in front of a packed house.

Ansel and other VIPs were treated to a Sunday brunch in The Forum Club, which also had dessert for breakfast -- including an album inspired cake -- where Kylie's now-famous, "rise and shine," catchphrase made an appearance too.

Gospel legend Fred Hammond says Kanye West's support of Donald Trump is not an issue for him as a Christian ... and they never discussed politics when working on Ye's new album.

Fred, who is featured on Kanye's new album, "Jesus Is King," tells TMZ ... it's way better for business to leave politics outside the studio. He says Trump never came up once in his dealings with Kanye, and if he cut off everyone who supports the President, he'd have a lot fewer friends.

Hammond's true to his word ... he's brushing off the flak he's getting for working with Kanye, just like he did when he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, an ardent Trump critic.

Fred tells us he made the decision to work with Kanye right off the bat when Ye approached him at Chance The Rapper's wedding. Their track together is called "Hands On."

Kanye West is going right back to work after dropping his much-anticipated album, "Jesus Is King," this weekend ... following it up with a good old-fashioned Sunday Service.

Ye held his weekly spiritual concert Sunday the Forum in L.A., where he, his choir and even Kenny G were in the building ... performing tracks from the new record -- which just dropped on Friday. From the looks of it, Kanye got things started with his Chick-fil-A song, "Closed on Sunday" ... ironic, considering the Forum's doors were very much open.

Folks had to pay $10 to get in for this Service, but we're told the proceeds are being donated to charity. Not bad for a front-row seat to see Kanye and co. in action.

Speaking of that, Kenny himself took to the stage to help play out "Use This Gospel," on which he had an epic sax solo after Clipse gets through their two verses with Ye on the hook.

BTW, the Forum looks pretty much the same in style and set design from when Kanye held his listening party there last week ... the tall grass meant to resemble a field, etc.

The big question now ... is this the official start of his global 'Jesus' tour, or just a victory lap to celebrate the new album? We know Ye's gonna follow the Sunday Service format for his upcoming tour, and he did say he'd get started on it "right away."

It's unclear ... all we can recommend for folks in L.A. is that ya come and catch him while you can, however you can. Kanye's definitely bound to be on the move soon.

Kanye West is going to push boundaries, travel the world and redefine everything audiences expect to experience when showing up to a concert.

Sources close to Kanye tell us his upcoming tour for "Jesus is King" will be unlike anything anyone has seen. We're told the Sunday Service format will serve as a pillar to the production, but it's only a part of the larger picture.

Our sources say the tour is meant for all types of venues -- whether inside or out -- and will be versatile to fit the space.

While Kanye hasn't announced a start to the tour, or any official dates, we're told it'll be a global event ... for fans all around the world to enjoy.

We got a happy Kanye out in NYC Friday who announced the tour would start "right away." Interestingly enough, when we asked about stage design, Kanye was quiet ... but only said it will be different than the floating stage design featured during his Saint Pablo Tour.

Kanye started his Sunday Service in a field in Calabasas ... but has since taken it across the country -- making stops in Utah, Chicago and at Howard University -- even spotlighting at Coachella this year.

Kanye West is on a mission to God, and a flood of unfavorable album reviews certainly won't get in the way of that ... he's not going back to his old stuff.

Sources close to Kanye tell us he's 100% serious when he says he'll never perform his old music in its original form again. We're told he's hell-bent on his newfound faith -- and will continue to create the music HE wants -- which hasn't been well received so far.

"Jesus is King" dropped Friday, and many complained the project feels incomplete ... like a bunch of song demos all lumped together on one album. The whole thing is 11 songs and runs just 27 minutes.

Our Kanye sources say he's not concerned with the below-average reviews ... he's making music for God and is a changed man.

One thing fans of the "Old Kanye" can hold onto ... while we're told he'll never perform his old tracks in their original form again ... fans can expect to hear familiar beats and rhymes, but with altered and more "G" rated lyrics.

In fact, Kanye said as much when he sat down with Big Boy for a lengthy interview just prior to the album's release.

Kanye West is heavy into gospel now -- we all know that -- but bet you didn't know he's been talking to perhaps the most famous pastor in America ... Joel Osteen, and we've learned Ye may be making an appearance at Osteen's famous Sunday Service.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Kanye and Joel speak from time to time on the phone ... as recently as 2 weeks ago. We're told Joel has invited Kanye to take a trip to Houston and experience his megachurch, Lakewood, where 45,000 people show up to pray every week. The Sunday service reaches 100 MILLION homes in America and tens of millions more around the world.

We're told Ye told Joel he'd love to attend a service, and he wouldn't be the first celeb to do so. Oprah, Tyler Perry, the Clintons and many others have attended.

The question ... would Kanye perform at the service? Our sources say Joel never asked him because he didn't want to put Kanye on the spot ... BUT if Ye wants to sing, Joel would be thrilled.

We're told Joel genuinely likes Kanye and believes his life is rooted in faith and love. During their conversations, they talk a lot about faith and Joel's proud that Kanye has traversed his sometimes difficult journey, and has come out believing in a higher power.

Nicki Minaj wanted a familiar face to help her tie the knot ... so she brought in her pastor from the other side of the U.S. of A. to officiate the ceremony.

Sources close to Nicki tell TMZ ... the singer flew out her pastor, Lydia Woodson-Sloley, from Brooklyn to Los Angeles for her nuptials with Kenneth Petty.

We're told Nicki and Pastor Lydia -- who fancies herself as a poet, author, Christian life coach and music producer -- go way back, so Nicki just had to have her as the wedding minister.

Lydia founded "Life in Its Poetic Form Christian Ministries" way back in 2000, and Nicki's a huge supporter of her work -- even thanking her in front of millions of people at the 2015 VMAs after accepting the award for best hip-hop video.

Nicki and Pastor Lydia also joined forces in 2017 to rebuild a village in India, making sure people there gained access to clean water.

We broke the story ... Nicki and Kenneth got hitched Monday in L.A. in a low-key ceremony, rushing to the altar because their marriage license was set to expire at month's end.

Nicki and Kenneth are following the blueprint of Justin and Hailey -- no-frills nuptials, followed by a church service and blowout celebration -- so it's a good bet Pastor Lydia will continue to be involved moving forward.

Kanye West just revealed the tracklist for his highly anticipated album, "Jesus is King" ... and it's a radically different version than the one Kim shared back in August.

Though there has been some skepticism based around previously missed album deadlines, Kanye is assuring everyone 'JiK' will hit at midnight.

The 11-song tracklist Kanye revealed is one song less than what Kim put out ... but there are a whole lot of song titles that have changed. In fact, only 4 of the titles Kim shared remain on Kanye's list.

Of course, the songs themselves may have stayed the same -- with only a title change -- but it's also possible Ye scrapped 8 records altogether.

Some of the new track names include ... "Follow God," "On God," "Everything We Need," "Use The Gospel," and "Jesus is Lord."

As we reported ... Yeezy held a massive album listening event at The Forum in L.A. Wednesday night. Fans were treated to a screening of his "Jesus is King" IMAX project and then a full preview of the album.