Kanye West is officially back with new music.
The rapper drops his eighth studio album, Ye, on Friday, and to celebrate he invited an exclusive group of celebrities, reporters and music industry types to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a private listening party. Kim Kardashian, Scott Disick, Chris Rock, Jonah Hill, Scooter Braun and more were among the familiar faces spotted by fellow attendees.
Others who documented their getaway to the mountainous state on Thursday evening included Nas, Fabolous, Kid Cudi, 2 Chainz, Ty Dolla Sign, Pusha T, Desiigner, Scooter Braun and Teyana Taylor.
The soirée was held at Diamond Cross Ranch in Jackson Hole, where guests were bussed to on a shuttle while staying in hotels in the area. The area is a beloved one for the star, who has been working on his follow up to 2016's The Life of Pablo there. Prior to its official release at midnight, West livestreamed the album listening party on the app WAV.
Fan site Team Kanye Daily shared several photos from the gathering, including new merchandise released especially for the event. T-shirts and sweatshirts feature the word "Wyoming" in bright script over photos of a mountain range. According to a source, attendees were waiting in line to get the new merchandise.
With beautiful scenery of the mountains and horses in the fields, guests could mingle in an outside area where speakers were set up and they could enjoy refreshments and s'mores, according to the insider. Inside a huge barn, there were bars and barbecue for the attendees to also enjoy.
After arriving alongside his famous wife, West happily mingled with guests, hugged and took photos. Rock officially kicked off the night when he welcomed everyone to the premiere from "the one and only Kanye West."
After acknowledging all of the musical stars in attendance, Rock asked everyone to remember that rap and hip-hop are the first art forms created by free black men. "No black man has taken more advantage of his freedom than Kanye West," he told the crowd. "So I can't wait for y'all to hear. Can't wait to watch you experience what you're about to see Listen without prejudice."
Over the past few months, Kanye has spent a considerable amount of time recording in Jackson Hole with artists like Travis Scott, Drake, Migos and Big Sean. A source told E! News of the outspoken hip-hop star's refuge, "Kanye loves to escape to Wyoming to record his music because it is peaceful and he can lock up and really focus on getting tracks done."
"He thinks by being at the mountains, he doesn't have many distractions and can have a more clear sense of direction for his music," the source added. "That is why he usually escapes there when he is in the zone to get things done."
His highly-anticipated musical comeback follows the 2016 cancellation of his Saint Pablo tour dates. Shortly thereafter, the 21-time Grammy winner was hospitalized for more than a week due to exhaustion and sleep deprivation.
So, what did Kanye have to say on his latest album? Check out E!'s decoding of Ye here.