Angry Kanye West on Graphic Album Art: 'Banned in the USA!!!'

By Zach Dionne Posted Oct 18th 2010 10:34AM

Kanye West's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' album art is too hot for stores, according to the rapper's Twitter frenzy on Sunday.

"Yoooo they banned my album cover!!!!!" he tweeted. "Banned in the USA!!!"

George Condo, the American artist behind Kanye's 'Power' music video/painting, created the new album cover. The banned art features a thick red border with a small painting in the center, depicting West as a nude, fanged being on a couch, holding a green bottle while a Caucasian humanoid with wings and a polka-dotted tail straddles him.

"They don't want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!" Kanye wrote, adding, "So Nirvana can have a naked human being on they cover but I can't have a PAINTING of a monster with no arms and a polka dot tail and wings." See the banned cover [warning: graphic artwork] after the jump.

According to some digging by the LA Times, West's record label disagrees the album art was actually banned. Says "a source familiar with West's discussions with Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam," Kanye was urged strongly to reconsider the artwork, but was ultimately told that "if he wanted to do it, the label would stand behind him."

A heavy point in the artwork discussions was whether massive outlets like Wal-Mart and Best Buy would showcase Kanye's album with the nude content. "In all honesty ... I really don't be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers. #kanyeshrug," West wrote on Twitter.

The album is scheduled to drop Nov. 22.

West's most profound sentiment on the topic, in his own words:

PopEater Hit the Streets to Talk Kanye Album Art and the Results Aren't Pretty >>

Tags: Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Comments

(39)

Monday 18 October

By Apostate

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Pffft.....It's not even a good enough cover to warrant all this hoopla.

By Mr. Leo

Kayne = GAY FISH

By jane

When is Kanye going to grow up? He said it himself, his music is his work so whats with the garbage on the cover?

By thumper46

exactley,the beatles sold millions with just a plain white album,because the music was good!!

By Lori

The painting is UGLY !!!! Fits him to a "T"

By lily

He should be more worried that the art work is UGLY rather then if it will be allowed in U.S. stores. Once again it shows his lack of taste..and i thought he was lacking only in the manners and integrity department. This proves hes LACKING everywhere but stupidity.

By Donna

When a 'singer'has had troubles with publicity this, is what they do. They 'try' to shock people, making them think,, I have to own this cd, because so many people are talking about it.
It works for kids, but us older people,, we know so much better.
In other words, some kids will want this, but not one adult would want to touch it.
I read that color has to do with kaynes cd cover, I am sure its kaynes little way of showing his hate for all white people,, again.
kayne,, we dont care, we dont like you either. And it has nothing to do with color kayne, we just think you s***

By Megahot1

Wonder what his momma would have said about it? Such a morally bankrupt society to even consider letting him put it out.

By Heather

My thoughts, too. I wasn't aware of how educated his mother was until her death, and I was shocked that she would tolerate him using the n-word. I don't think she'd care for this painting, either... he looks like a racist black caricature. She probably rolled in her grave when he tweeted that '...(he) DON'T BE THINKING about Wal-Mart.

By Jay Weissman

Kanye likes fishsticks in his mouth.

Wednesday 20 October

By Racquel Dubb

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He is a gay fish! That cd cover is pornographic! That couldn't be stocked in stores.

He is truly a legend in his own mind... douche-bag!

By Mike

(Oh boy, am I gonna get beat up for this one.) Though I have enjoyed some of Kanye's music, my REAL problem with him is his "tweets," or when he's addressing the media: "I don't be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers..."
The correct statement would be: "I don't think about Wal-Mart..." With all his money, he can't buy intellect. Proper grammar should apply to all.

By Angie

You are so right! He is a college graduate and knows how to speak proper English, but would rather be perceived as being a thug. I would have liked to see him try and take the microphone away from Queen L or Monique instead of a 90 pound little white girl...I believe they would have taken that microphone and beat him about the head with it!!!!

By kittyfriskywhiskers

@ Angie: It wouldn't have happened because they were black. Kanye is a racist who dislikes white people. If Queen Latifah had won instead of Beyonce', the outrage that he showed against a small, white *girl* wouldn't have been there and nothing would have been said. He wasn't angry about someone else winning over Beyonce" - he was angry that it was a white person. Beyonce' was mortified at his behavior, the look on her face said it all. He was referencing Nirvana being able to use a "naked human being" on their cover...but it was a swimming baby with only the backside showing -- not a nipple baring, buttcrack showing adult female creature in an obscene pose. I'm sure the "Good Reverend" and Al Sharpton are Kanye's mentors. Typical racist. I have never seen such people who blatantly hate the white race.

By Ed

Kayne West. Sounds like an island in the Carribean.

By Tracie Smith

All I can say to Kanye West is this...Obama hates white people...

By Mary

What?!

By wendy

We know kanye is an idiot, but putting obama in makes you one too. He has nothing to do with this nonsense he on a whole different level.

Tuesday 19 October

Wendy and Mary... you don't get the joke or the reference. When celebrities were raising money for New Orleans after Katrina, on a telethon, Mike Myers and Kanye were asking for donations when, out of the blue, Kanye yells GEORGE BUSH DOESNT CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE! The look on Mike Myers face was hysterical, and they did a skit on SNL a week later, where Kanye runs into Myers, and that was hysterical, too. Trust me... Tracie was being funny!

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