Kanye West announces new name

You can never predict what Kanye West will do next - but we really didn't see this one coming.

The rapper, who is married to Kim Kardashian, took to Twitter last night to announce some surprising news.

As his new album's release gets ready to drop, the dad-of-three has revealed he has changed his name.

No longer will he be referred to as Kanye West, but instead has settled simply on Ye as his new moniker.

The star tweeted, "the being formally known as Kanye West. I am YE".

He made his name change official by also changing his Twitter name too.

GALLERY: Kanye West & Kim Kardashian's wedding pictures

As expected the Stronger hitmaker sparked a variety of reactions from his fans, with many mocking him for his dramatic announcement.

One responded, "I miss the old kanye," while another added, "Prince could do that because he had great talent. I think you know where I am going here".

Another called him out on his grammar, writing, "As a self-proclaimed genius, you'd think he would know its formerly, not formally."

The star has used the nickname Ye for years, while it's also the name of his eighth album.

The self-proclaimed 'God' is set to release album number nine very soon too, which will be named Yandhi.

Kanye isn't the first star to change his name. Legendary stars such as Prince and Snoop Dogg have also rebranded themselves too.

We'll see how long the name change lasts...