Peter Rosenberg criticises Ye over behaviour at Donda West street ceremony
Peter Rosenberg has criticised Ye for his behaviour during a Chicago ceremony to rename a street after Ye's late mother. The Hot 97 host spoke on the 24 September episode of The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, where he addressed video from the event, as reported by Billboard.
The footage showed Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, stepping in front of Alderman Greg Mitchell as the official prepared to unveil the new sign. Ye indicated that he wanted to pull the cover off himself, cutting across the planned proceedings. Rosenberg objected to the interruption in blunt language.
He called Ye a "loser" and described the conduct as "effing weird." His criticism focused on Ye stepping into the alderman's role during a civic honour. He said the unveiling should have been left to the official leading it.
The ceremony took place on East 78th Street in Chicago's South Shore neighbourhood. That stretch has been renamed Dr. Donda West Way to honour Ye's mother, Donda West. Local officials, friends and longtime collaborators gathered for the unveiling.
Donda West died in November 2007 at the age of 58. She chaired the English department at Chicago State University. She also founded the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing, a centre named for the celebrated Chicago poet and writer.
Ye attended the renaming but did not address the crowd. He did not speak. Others who appeared included Don C, GLC, Rhymefest and Really Doe, all figures linked to Ye's early years in Chicago, according to Billboard. Their presence underlined Donda West's long ties to the city and its music community.
What makes this stand out is the contrast between the purpose of the day and the argument that followed. A street renaming is a formal civic act, led by an elected representative and carried out before family, neighbours and guests. For fans, this means the story is not about new music or a release date. It is about how a public family tribute unfolds when cameras are present and emotions run high.
The report on Rosenberg's comments was published on 25 September, a day after the broadcast. No response from Ye was noted in that report.
