Kanye West "Saturday Night Live" Performance Features Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, The-Dream, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin, and More

Kanye West "Saturday Night Live" Performance Features Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, The-Dream, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin, and More

Photo via “Saturday Night Live”‘s Twitter

Kanye West was the musical guest on tonight’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.” He performed “High Lights” and “Ultra Light Beams” from his new album The Life of Pablo. Young Thug, The-Dream, Kelly Price, and El DeBarge joined him for “High Lights.” Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, The-Dream, Price, and a gospel choir performed “Ultra Light Beams” with him. Watch “High Lights” here and “Ultra Light Beams” here, via Gossip Cop.

Later in the episode, during “Weekend Update,” Michael Che commented on West’s “BILL COSBY INNOCENT” tweet from earlier in the week. Che says he was not “outraged” at the tweet. In fact, he just thought that it meant The Life of Pablo would be a good album. Che also mocked the controversy surrounding Beyoncé’s “Formation.” Earlier in the episode, “SNL” aired a sketch called “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black” that also poked fun at white people who were upset at the song.

In another sketch on the show, “SNL”‘s Kyle Mooney freestyle-battled West. West then spit his verse from T.L.O.P.‘s “I Love Kanye” in Mooney’s face. Mooney, however, proudly said he won the battle. Watch it below.

At the end of the episode, West appeared with the rest of the cast wearing a t-shirt with his late mother Donda’s image on the front. His wife Kim Kardashian West’s late father Robert Kardashian’s likeness was on the back. Check out the video of it below.

Kanye West premiered The Life of Pablo at a massive event at Madison Square Garden last Thursday. West also debuted his latest fashion line, Yeezy Season 3, at MSG. He announced a new video game, “Only One,” during the show, too.

West claimed that he would release the album on Friday, February 12, but it is still not out. He has since added more songs to T.L.O.P. than were heard at MSG. He’s also blamed the delay on Chance the Rapper, who’s apparently insisted that a song called “Waves” is included on the album. (“Waves” was on a previous version of T.L.O.P., and it was also, at one time, the album’s title.)

West has also found himself embroiled in controversy since he premiered (at least some of) T.L.O.P. Taylor Swift is reportedly unhappy with West’s song “Famous,” which includes the line, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/ I made that bitch famous.” West claims that Swift approved the lyrics. Long-time collaborator Rhymefest has spoken out against West’s recent statements, as well. He wrote on Twitter, “my brother needs help, in the form of counseling. Spiritual & mental. He should step away from the public & yesmen & heal.”

West has played “SNL” numerous times in the past. Most recently, he appeared in February 2015 for the show’s 40th anniversary special. During his performance, he premiered an earlier version of T.L.O.P.‘s “Wolves” featuring Sia and Vic Mensa (the song, based on the MSG listening event, now instead features Frank Ocean).

Read “Inside the Kanye West Think Tank” on the Pitch.

The @kylemooney/@kanyewest rap battle you didn’t know you needed. #SNLhttps://t.co/T67KGAmGpu

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 14, 2016

We had such a fun night with @melissamccarthy and @kanyewest! Thanks for watching with us! #SNLhttps://t.co/KZv6AaOA8d

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) February 14, 2016

Watch Kanye West and host Melissa McCarthy’s promo for the “SNL” episode:

Comments are closed.