KANYE West surprised and shocked fans on Saturday as he announced he was rebranding himself – complete with a new name.

Taking to Twitter, the 41-year-old rap star revealed he would be shortening his name – a bit like how wife Kimberly Kardashian calls herself Kim.

“The being formally known as Kanye West,” the Jesus Walks star began.

He then dramatically announced: “I am YE.”

The announcement sparked a varied response from followers and fans.

Some seemed unsure whether the musician was serious, with one tweeting: “change ur @ if you’re real.”

While another suggested it could be a joke – with the announcement coming hours before Kanye was due to appear on comedy series, Saturday Night Live with one tweeting: “SaturdaYR Night Live.”

Others compared him to Guardians of the Galaxy character Groot – with one tweeting a mock-up of Kanye along with the caption: “I am Ye”.

And another lamented the former artist, tweeting: “I miss the old Kanye”.

Kanye has been known to confuse and amuse fans in the past be making wild declarations about himself - including an ongoing flirtation with running for President of the United States.

In the past he has declared himself as “God” and has also compared himself to “Steve Jobs, or Walt Disney… Howard Hughes, David Stern, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Jesus.”

He also provoked a mixed response in 2013 when he told a live audience: “I had a dream that I was Mandela. I had a dream that I was Thomas Edison… I had a dream that I was Martin Luther King.”

It is not so uncommon for musicians to change their names over the years - with the late music icon Prince changing his name to The Artist Formally Known As Prince, and also simply The Artist.

While fellow rapper Snoop Dogg has been known as Snoop Rock, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Snoop Lion - among others.