Kanye West changes name to 'Ye', unveils bizarre haircut, freaks people out with creepy mask

Kanye West has officially changed his name to 'Ye', unveiled a unique new haircut and was spotted wearing a creepy horror movie style mask while walking around Italy. 

The rapper's bid to be known only as 'Ye', with no middle or last name, has been approved by a judge in the US, according to TMZ. Kanye Omari West, the names given to the 44-year-old on his birth certificate, are reportedly now a thing of the past. 

Ye appeared to celebrate his new identity with an unconventional new hairdo, sharing an image on social media that showed an abstract design shaved into the back of his head. The post drew dozens of "wtf" comments from followers. 

These new developments paled in comparison, however, to the 'Donda' hitmaker's latest fashion choice, which saw him stroll the streets of Venice in a bizarre white mask. 

Ye paired the Michael Myers from Halloween-style mask with a full Balenciaga outfit, which featured a leather jacket and bulky rain boots.  

"This man is going to start his own cult," one Twitter user remarked of Ye's latest look. 

"Halloween came early." 

Others speculated the colour of the mask could be a political statement, questioning whether it was "white face" or an attempt to "get even" for incidents of Blackface throughout pop culture history. 

Ye has donned balaclavas and a variety of different masks for appearances both on and off-stage in recent months as his divorce from ex-wife Kim Kardashian continues to make headlines. Recently, Kardashian reportedly won the couple's US$60million mansion in the legal proceedings after negotiating a buyout. 

Some social media commentators have dubbed the hip-hop star's persistent mask-wearing as a "trauma response" and indication he "needs serious help".