On Friday morning, Kanye West brought his gospel choir to Harris County Jail in Houston to give prisoners an unforgettable show based of his latest Jesus Is King Album, as he spreads his brand of Christianity.
Law enforcement sources state the whole thing was a surprise to nearly everyone involved.
Kanye and his singers stayed for several hours and performed a wide range of cuts for the inmates and staff.
Kanye brought out 100 choir and band members and delivered two separate shows: one for the male prisoners and one for the female prisoners as he performed songs from Jesus Is King
The performance witnessed lots of inmates breaking down in tears as they reportedly gave their life to Christ through the performance.
“Say what you want about the man,” said Jason Spencer, a public affairs director for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. “But Kanye West and his choir brought some light to people who needed it today at the Harris County Jail.”
Jesus is King, which was released in October after a number of delays, has received mixed to negative reviews. However, it marked Kanye West’s ninth consecutive album to debut at the number one spot on the US Billboard 200.
In a two-star review for The Independent, the Jesus Is King Album was criticised for its confusing and divisive themes, and for how Kanye West’s constant last-minute meddling with the track mixes had only stripped the album of its cohesion.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted on Saturday that it would be “great if other artists followed Kanye’s lead.”
“What Kanye West does to inspire the incarcerated is transformative,” Abbott said. “Saving one soul at a time. Inmates who turn to God may get released earlier [because] of good behavior & may be less likely to commit future crimes.”
Kanye West addressed the 17,000-seat Lakewood Christian Church in Houston yesterday (17 November), where he spoke about the album. Tickets were reportedly sold for the Sunday service at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church.