Ye Buys 4K Toys for Chicago Kids in Need

Kanye West has been officially named Ye since his name change was approved in October—but to thousands of kids in Chicago, he's now Santye Claus. The rapper donated clothing and almost all of the more than 4,000 toys that were given away at an event in the Englewood neighborhood on the city's South Side, People reports. The Sunday event also featured food and games for families. Alderman Stephanie Coleman praised Ye for once again giving back to the city where he grew up. "I'm so proud that Kanye is, once again, responding to our request to help the children of Englewood and beyond," she said, per ABC7. "His presence has always been felt in our neighborhoods and he loves visiting, but this Christmas he has truly been our modern-day Santa Claus."

Ye, who now lives in Los Angeles, wasn't at the event, though there was a Santa Claus on hand to greet children as they chose toys in a community college gym, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Coleman thanked the star for "understanding the need and filling in the gap for those children who don’t have the resources for a holiday, who are missing their fathers or have lost their parents to gun violence." Ye's history of giving to Chicago includes a donation early in the pandemic to an organization that delivers meals to the elderly. (More Kanye West stories.)