Kanye West
Kanye West, pictured at Milk Studios on June 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California, has surprised fans on Twitter with sudden weight gain. Getty Images

Pictures of a thicker Kanye West emerged Friday on Twitter to the shock of fans. The "Gold Digger" rapper's sudden weight gain elicited mixed responses from Twitter users. Some Twitter users have nicknamed West's thicker alter ego "Fat Kanye."

West, 40, was pictured wearing his typical wardrobe staples of a black t-shirt, jeans and sneakers during an outing in Los Angeles. He was accompanied by wife Kim Kardashian, 36, and children North, 4, and Saint, 1. The rapper's outfit, however, packed in more weight than normal.

The hip-hop artist appeared content as he smiled in the paparazzi shots, but West was quickly targeted by Twitter users with fat-shaming comments.

Several users quickly turned his songs titles into weight-gain puns, including a reimagined version of West's song "I Love Kanye" from his "The Life of Pablo" album. The user wrote, "I miss the old Kanye, the not-quite-as-rolled Kanye."

Others went as far to blame the Kardashian-Jenner clan for his weight gain.

Some users, however, claimed West's fuller frame may be a positive change because he looks "happy."

Others said West's weight gain is the beginning of a new era.

West canceled his "Life of Pablo" tour in November 2016. The tour was halted because of the artist's mental breakdown. The singer, who made a series of extensive rants on his tour, was hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center November 22, 2016. He was reportedly being treated for exhaustion.

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