Kanye West’s third Donda listening event and performance art piece, which saw the G.O.O.D. Music founder placing himself on display alongside Marilyn Manson and DaBaby, was—at least according to a new report—originally set to feature his actual childhood home.
As Fran Spielman and Mitch Dudek reported Monday night for the Chicago Sun-Times, West only made the decision to recreate the former Chicago residence after the city denied him permission to have the actual property moved.
In a statement, a rep for the Chicago Department of Buildings noted that the process of having a home moved within the city is a “very technical” endeavor requiring multiple permits.
“The request to move the house at 7815 S. South Shore Dr. was denied last week because no permit application had been received to excavate and move the vacant property which is also in Demolition Court,” the rep told the Sun-Times.
When reached by Complex for additional comment, a rep for the Buildings Department confirmed the denial of the relocation request and shared the same aforementioned statement.
The resulting recreation of the home served as the location from which West was seen being symbolically set on fire during the Donda event and was followed by the Sunday release of the album itself. At 27 tracks in length, the album—West’s 10th and his first since Jesus Is King—assembles an extensive list of guest features.
Among them are the aforementioned DaBaby, who went on a homophobic rant at Rolling Loud Miami in July, and Marilyn Manson. The latter has been accused of physical and emotional abuse by multiple women. Following the latest Donda event, Evan Rachel Wood—who earlier this year named Manson as her alleged abuser—seemingly responded to the singer’s inclusion during a live cover of the 1998 Manson-referencing track “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals.
Donda is projected to open at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
