Kanye West brought his unconventional church services to the Coachella with the help of Teyana Taylor, Chance the Rapper and DMX.
Variety reports the rapper’s Easter Sunday performance included groups of musicians, singers, and dancers spreading the gospel to the flower crown-adorned masses. His set also included spiritually-themed selections from his own catalog and covers of his fellow artists’ inspirational work.
He covered Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding, representatives of his longstanding creative relationship with soul music.
Yeezy also performed a new track called “Water,” but his presence on the stage was reportedly more of a zealous creative director than committed bar spitter. He was accompanied by a full band, including a harp player capable of bringing the ethereal chords used to stimulate the crowd.
Thousands eager to see what West had dreamed up for the occasion were required to leave the festival’s main site and travel to a completely separate part of the campground.
Once they arrived, they were permitted to purchase customized merchandise branded as “church clothes,” as they watched West and the band arrange themselves into a continually expanding circle.
The merchandise for sale included a pair of $50 socks that read “Jesus
Walks” on them and a $70 T-shirt that read “Trust God.”
West’s choir, clad in violet garments, occasionally interjected through musical interludes to shout out phrases like “He is risen!” Behind them, additional choir members joined them on the hilltop.
Special guests during the performance included Teyana Taylor and Chance The Rapper.
Taylor sang “Never Would Have Made It,” which West produced.
Chance The Rapper performed his smash gospel-inspired hit “Ultra Light Beam” with West.
West closed out the theatrical set appropriately performing “Jesus Walks” before dropping to his knees before a benediction-style prayer offered by DMX.
He then smiled at the camera for a significant amount of time before joining his fellow worshippers as they fled the secluded hilltop.