Ye’s second Chicago homecoming performance at Soldier Field on Friday, September 4, was built on the kind of scale that turns a concert into a map of an artist’s entire orbit. Returning to the city for the first time in five years, the rapper and producer moved through foundational hits, later-era material, collaborative records and guest showcases, with Chicago figures and longtime associates appearing across a remarkably long program.
The show’s structure mattered as much as the sheer number of songs. It began with “Put On” during Ye’s entrance, then quickly made its way to “Homecoming” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” selections that framed the evening through the lens of a hometown return. From there, the performance kept jumping between eras: “N***as In Paris,” “Off The Grid,” “Praise God,” “Black Skinhead,” “New Slaves,” “On Sight” and “Blood On The Leaves” all appeared in the early stretch.
That sequencing gave the night a broad historical sweep rather than the feel of a conventional album-era set. Early catalog staples sat beside newer titles such as “CARNIVAL,” “KING,” “I CAN’T WAIT” and “EVERYBODY.” There were also moments that placed Ye’s own songs beside music associated with his guests, emphasizing the connections that have accumulated across his career as an artist, producer and collaborator.
Chicago artists were central to the night
A homecoming show is only as convincing as its connection to the place in its title, and the guest list gave this one a deeply Chicago-focused identity. Chief Keef joined Ye for “Love Sosa” and “I Don’t Like,” while Really Doe appeared on “We Major.” GLC and Consequence came out for “Spaceship,” a track whose working-class imagery and Chicago roots made it an especially fitting selection for the venue and occasion.
Twista’s spots on “Overnight Celebrity” and “Slow Jamz” added another direct link to the city’s rap lineage. Common performed “The Light,” and Lupe Fiasco joined the set for “Touch The Sky” and “Superstar.” In a show that frequently shifted from bombastic production to reflective material, those appearances made clear that the event was not merely revisiting Ye’s catalog; it was also putting a spotlight on artists who helped shape, extend or intersect with Chicago hip-hop’s many eras.
The program included a nod to Lil Durk as well. “All My Life,” Durk’s collaboration with J. Cole, was played during the show. Durk is currently facing a murder-for-hire trial, and the performance did not turn the song selection into a detailed statement on those ongoing legal proceedings. It was, instead, one more acknowledgment of a major Chicago artist within an event defined by local representation.
Big Sean and Kid Cudi appearances carried extra attention
Two guests drew particular interest because their returns to Ye’s stage arrived after highly publicized periods of tension. Big Sean appeared for “Clique,” “I Don’t F**k With You” and “Mercy,” with 2 Chainz also joining the latter. The run moved fluidly between a Ye-led posse cut, one of Big Sean’s signature records and a collaboration shared by both artists.
Kid Cudi’s arrival later in the night brought “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” “Ghost Town” and “Pursuit Of Happiness” into the closing run. Their history has included public disputes, so the shared performance was naturally read by many observers as a significant moment. A joint stage appearance can signal an improved relationship, but it does not by itself explain every detail of a private reconciliation. What is clear is that Cudi performed multiple major songs connected to Ye’s catalog and creative history on this particular night. For more on the discussion surrounding their reunion, see Kid Cudi’s explanation of the Kanye West reunion.
The choice of songs also underscored how important Cudi has been to some of the most emotionally expansive material associated with Ye. “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” offers a massive, chant-ready release, “Ghost Town” leans toward catharsis, and “Pursuit Of Happiness” reaches further back into their overlapping musical history. Putting all three in succession made the guest spot more substantial than a brief cameo.
Collaborators expanded the set beyond a nostalgia exercise
Chicago guests were not the only artists involved. The show brought out 2 Chainz for “Mercy” and “I’m Different,” Rick Ross for “Devil In A New Dress” and “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast),” and Don Toliver for “OK” and “E85.” Andre Troutman appeared during “Heartless,” “ALL THE LOVE,” “Flashing Lights” and “Stronger.”
Travis Scott joined for “FE!N” and “FATHER,” while Young Thug appeared on “Highlights” and “Lifestyle.” CyHi performed on “So Appalled.” Each guest sequence widened the show’s musical footprint: Rick Ross brought the opulence and slow-burn drama of “Devil In A New Dress,” Travis Scott connected the bill to a newer generation of arena-scale rap, and Young Thug’s songs added a different stylistic current to the night.
The middle of the concert also included “No Church In The Wild,” “Bound 2,” “I Wonder,” “Champion,” “Heard ’Em Say,” “Famous,” “Run This Town,” “American Boy,” “Low Lights” and “All Falls Down.” That list illustrates how far the performance reached across eras and adjacent projects. It was not confined to obvious crowd-pleasers, though it had plenty of them. Instead, the song choices repeatedly paired recognizable singles with album cuts, guest records and tracks whose appeal comes from their place in the larger Ye canon.
The complete reported song list
The reported setlist below preserves the running order and notes the guest appearances. “Put On” was used for Ye’s entrance, while “All My Life” was played rather than performed as a guest feature.
- Put On (entrance music)
- Homecoming
- Can’t Tell Me Nothing
- N***as In Paris
- Love Sosa (with Chief Keef)
- I Don’t Like (with Chief Keef)
- Off The Grid
- Praise God
- Black Skinhead
- New Slaves
- On Sight
- Blood On The Leaves
- Clique (with Big Sean)
- I Don’t F**k With You (with Big Sean)
- Mercy (with Big Sean and 2 Chainz)
- I’m Different (with 2 Chainz)
- CARNIVAL
- POWER
- Fade
- No Church In The Wild
- Bound 2
- Devil In A New Dress (with Rick Ross)
- B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) (with Rick Ross)
- All My Life (played)
- I Wonder
- Champion
- Heard ’Em Say
- Heartless (with Andre Troutman)
- KING
- OK (with Don Toliver)
- E85 (with Don Toliver)
- ALL THE LOVE (with Andre Troutman)
- FE!N (with Travis Scott)
- FATHER (with Travis Scott)
- I CAN’T WAIT
- EVERYBODY
- Famous
- Run This Town
- American Boy
- Low Lights
- Highlights (with Young Thug)
- Lifestyle (with Young Thug)
- So Appalled (with CyHi)
- We Major (with Really Doe)
- Spaceship (with GLC and Consequence)
- All Falls Down
- Overnight Celebrity (with Twista)
- Slow Jamz (with Twista)
- Jesus Walks
- The Light (with Common)
- Gold Digger
- Touch The Sky (with Lupe Fiasco)
- Superstar (with Lupe Fiasco)
- All Of The Lights
- Flashing Lights (with Andre Troutman)
- Stronger (with Andre Troutman)
- Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 (with Kid Cudi)
- Ghost Town (with Kid Cudi)
- Pursuit Of Happiness (with Kid Cudi)
- Runaway
“Runaway” provided the final punctuation
Closing with “Runaway” put an unmistakable endpoint on a set that had spent its full length surveying different phases of Ye’s music. The song has long occupied a special place within his live repertoire because of its patient build, emotional scale and association with one of his most celebrated creative periods. After a night featuring local legends, current collaborators, former collaborators and multiple generations of rap, it was a fittingly weighty final selection.
The Soldier Field show did not erase the controversies that have surrounded Ye in recent years, nor did the event attempt to resolve the complicated histories attached to everyone onstage. But as a document of a hometown performance, the reported setlist reveals an unusually expansive gathering: a five-year Chicago return, a catalog stretching across decades, and guest appearances that connected the city’s scene to the broad network of artists around it.
