Earlier this week I was having breakfast at one of my favourite greasy-spoon cafes (pronounced caff) in London, when I got a call from an old friend of mine Don, the esteemed manager of one of the greatest musical minds of this generation — Kanye West. It’s been a really tough time for Kanye, having recently lost his mother, Donda — a fantastic woman who I’m proud to have known. The tragic news hit Kanye whilst he was on his world tour, and understandably it tore his world apart.

After a period of mourning and her funeral in Chicago — an event that saw the whole community come out — Kanye made the decision to continue with his tour as his mother “would have wanted.” Don told me that they had just arrived to London and that the next night he was taking to the stage in front of a sell-out 20,000-strong crowd at the O2 Arena (formerly known as the Millennium Dome) in South East London. I rarely miss a Kanye performance if we’re in the same town, and although part of me would like him to take a rest at this time, I respect his decision, which stands as a testament to his character and relentless dedication to his fans.

The atmosphere at the concert was electric, and the arena was packed to the rafters. Looking around, I couldn’t see a single empty seat. Kanye came on later than expected, but Common made time fly as he opened the show with a medley of his hits. After a brief interlude, the lights went down and the stage filled with smoke and out of the middle walked the unmistakable silhouette of Kanye West.

The arena shook with applause. ‘Ye gave a passionate performance, bringing out some crazy visuals, including a giant fluorescent remote control complete with a human robot and some sensational looking dancers on podiums 30 feet apart, connected by the same flowing gown like the video for “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” Supported by a full live band and DJ A-Trak on the decks, Kanye stripped down tracks, putting the focus on the lyrics and powerful delivery.

When the time came to perform “Hey Mama,” a track he wrote in dedication to his mother and the very song that had caused him to break down in tears on two occasions in front of arenas full of screaming fans — my fingers were crossed that he’d make it through. Spitting every word from the heart, it was one of Kanye’s finest moments, and only at the very end of the last verse did the emotion become too much, causing ‘Ye to cry briefly while holding his head in sadness and grief. A truly touching moment. But the man who conjured up the magical track “Stronger,” a song that has helped so many people deal with their own personal loss of loved ones, showed a true strength of character and finished the show on a high to rapturous applause and a standing ovation all around.

There was no afterparty that night, with Kanye choosing to spend a rare moment of free-time with his closest friends and loved ones. We here at MTV send him our very best wishes.

Check out all of Tim Kash’s uploads at yourhere.mtv.com…