Bringing a Sunday Service to a place like Jamaica, where there’s a church every other corner, might seem pretty strange. It might also seem strange when that Sunday Service is by an artiste that has been no stranger to controversy these past months; to say the least. But, to be fair nothing about Kanye West is normal.

Ye held a seemingly short notice Sunday Service this past Friday at the Emancipation Park in Kingston, Jamaica. This would be the rapper’s first staging of his series outside of the U.S. Kanye has been hosting his Sunday Services across the U.S since its public debut at Coachella, aiming to bring it all over the world. Himself, a huge choir and sometimes other prominent acts bringing gospel with a touch of Kanye West.

Jesus Is King : A Kanye West Album

In addition, the Chicago rapper uses his Sunday Service to promote his highly anticipated album ‘Jesus Is King’ to be released on Friday, October 25. The album was teased by a post from his wife, Kim Kardashian West, will be paired with Kanye’s IMAX film titled ‘Jesus Is King: A Kanye West Film’. IMAX released a trailer of the upcoming film and promises a one of a kind experience.

The public got wind of the event two days before its hosting and it seemed like the entire island went into a total frenzy. Social media erupted and divided. Those elated at the opportunity to see the ‘Reborn’ singer perform live for free, those who didn’t care for the event and those with reservations as it relates to religion. Subsequently, after hearing the news, even some local preachers aired their concerns and publicly rejected the event. But boiling down to the night of the event, everyone was just waiting to see what would unfold.

People turned up to the event hours before the events start. By 30 minutes to the hour, the crowd was waiting and counting down to 7 o’clock. And judging by the reaction of the jam-packed crowd at Emancipation Park, it was worth the wait. The Grammy-winning artiste kept the crowd on their feet for the entire 2 hours. Starting the show with a refreshing gospel remix to Damian Marley’s ‘Welcome to Jamrock’, then transitioning to local favourite Christian revivals like ‘I am Blessed’. A cameo from entrepreneur, designer and musician, Virgil Abloh caught the attention of many in the crowd, fans shouting his name as he appeared on stage.

Kanye Has A Party In Kingston

Patrons engaged in the service. Hands lifted all throughout the event and “amens” shouted during the praise and worship segment. Some commenting on the quality of the music and how unrealistically amazing the choir sounded. Believers and Non-believers alike gathered and bonded enjoying the unique mix of Hip-Hop, Gospel and Kanye West. West drove the crowd wild after beginning to live mix, leading the choir as he did at other Sunday Services.

Kanye’s short testimonial had tears flowing in the eyes of some and hearty ‘amens’ shouted from the mouths of others. Similarly, the performance ‘Ultralight Beam’ and ‘Father Stretch My Hands’ had everyone singing along. After that, his performance of ‘Jesus Walks’, a crowd favourite, drove the patrons at Emancipation Park insane. Satisfaction on the faces of those leaving the park when Ye’s Sunday Service came to an end.

To sum it all up, Sunday Service in Kingston will be the topic of discussion for a while. Those who saw it in the flesh may never forget their experience. So it’s safe to say Kanye’s first international Sunday Service held in Jamaica was a success and it will be one for the books.