Kanye Warms Up for Church —in Jail

Two unannounced concerts precede rapper's performance at Joel Osteen's church
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 17, 2019 9:17 AM CST

Before Kanye West went to church in Houston this weekend, he went to jail. The rapper put on two unannounced concerts Friday at the Harris County Jail—one for about 200 men at a lockup, then one for a smaller audience of female inmates at the main jail. "This is a mission, not a show," the rapper repeatedly told his audiences, the Houston Chronicle reports. West brought his dancers, who wore scrubs that gave them the look of inmates, while he performed tracks from his new gospel album, Jesus Is King. The sheriff's department posted a video on Facebook.

West was due at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on Sunday for appearances that include an evening concert. The free tickets went in minutes Saturday morning, per KPRC, and soon were being offered on online sites for as much as $500. The tickets are supposed to be nontransferable, but sellers were offering to help buyers get around that, even by meeting them in line before the show. The church has said West would also take part in "a brief conversation" with Osteen, per KHOU. (More Kanye West stories.)

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