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Kanye West attends Sunday Service at The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York on September 29, 2019 in New York City.
- Kanye West has a new song called "Closed on Sunday" that reportedly references Chick-fil-A.
- "Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A," the song begins, according to people who attended listening parties leading up to the release of West's gospel-influenced album.
- Chick-fil-A closes all of its locations on Sunday because of founder Truett Cathy's Christian faith.
- West is a noted fast-food fan, tweeting that McDonald's is his favorite restaurant as well as his favorite brand.
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Noted McDonald's lover Kanye West has a new fast-food chain on his mind.
As the world waits for West to release his new album, "Jesus Is King," the rapper has been hosting listening parties for his new songs. Among the songs West has been performing is "Closed on Sunday," which heavily references Chick-fil-A.
"Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A," the song begins, according to recordings and reporting by people in the audience at listening parties. The phrase repeats again and again as the hook of the song.
The song goes on to preach against Instagram ("Hold the selfies, put the 'Gram away") and the importance of faith ("Follow Jesus, listen and obey").
Chick-fil-A declined to comment on the song. But, the fast-food shout-out seems fitting for the gospel-influenced album. Every location of the fast-food chain is closed on Sunday.
"Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord's Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him," Chick-fil-A's founder, Truett Cathy, wrote in his book "Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People."
In 2000, Cathy's children - including Dan Cathy, now the chain's CEO - pledged to uphold the company's commitment to closing on Sundays and to never take it public.
Like West, who has faced backlash for his support of President Donald Trump and numerous provocative statements, Chick-fil-A is no stranger to controversy. In 2012, the company faced boycott threats due to its significant donations to groups opposing same-sex marriage. Chick-fil-A has cut donations to controversial groups, with the exceptions of the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, but it has continued to face criticism from certain progressive groups for its charitable giving.
West's love of fast food more generally is well documented. The rapper has a special appreciation for McDonald's, tweeting in 2018, "McDonald's is my favorite restaurant." The declaration followed a 2016 tweet from West that said, "McDonald's is my favorite brand."
A representative for West did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Chick-fil-A's polarizing reputation and whether McDonald's was still the rapper's favorite restaurant.
West has also made financial investments into the fast-food industry.
In 2008, West bought the rights to open 10 Fatburger locations in Chicago. And, when West married Kim Kardashian in 2014, he reportedly bought her the rights to open 10 Burger King franchises located throughout Europe - though no locations were ultimately opened in the Kardashian-West name.