The Irony Behind Kanye West's 'Banned' Album Cover

By Jett Wells Posted Oct 19th 2010 07:00PM

Pop-Ed: There are enough story lines behind Kanye West's latest album, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,' to fill a three-pound autobiography with Kanye's big grin on the cover. Even when we'd like a little less Kanye, everything is always about ... Kanye. Now with only a month left till the album drops on Nov. 22, the cover art is making more headlines than the leaked tracks. When Kanye broke the news Sunday that Wal-Mart would allegedly ban the album from its stores, Kanye once again made it seem like a huge deal and painted himself as a romantic warrior sticking it to the man. The sad ironic truth behind the story is not that Kanye's artwork may or may not be offensive, but rather that this story shouldn't even matter because so few people buy CDs anymore -- and that everyone saw the "banned" artwork before the album was even out.

To see what people really thought of the controversial album cover, we went out to Washington Square in New York City and while there, asked what they thought about the news that the megastar has contemplated suicide.

Forget about the fact that Wal-Mart hasn't even confirmed the report and consider the effort Kanye put into making this album cover intending to shock the world as the cherry on his comeback sundae. What he thought was just another way to give his album more publicity, turned out to be a sadly unfunny joke about the music industry.

Kanye Album

Like physical CDs, album artwork has sadly become an outdated art form in an age where selling music is as hard as, say, swiping an award from Taylor Swift and getting away with it. The even sadder reality is that musicians are desperate to remain relevant while they struggle to pay managers and rent, while divas (divos?) like Kanye are picking fights with mega-corporations. In the end, Kanye can't save the music industry all by himself. It's not that Kanye's album won't shatter records and complete his conquest, but that most won't admire Kanye's artwork because they'll be too busy ripping his music from their laptops to their iPods.

Follow Jett on Twitter

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=892538&pid=892537&uts=1276080757

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/music/?s_channel=us.musicpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Kanye West Photos

Kanye West waves to fans in Hollywood, California. More Kanye photos >>

Chris Wolf/FilmMagic.com

FilmMagic.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Kanye West Foundation Chief Executive Officer Joseph Collins (R) and Chicago Public School Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman (second from right) are interviewed with students at the Kanye West Foundation's 3rd annual Stay in School event at the Farragut Career Academy on June 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Kanye West Foundation's 3rd Annual Stay In School Event Farragut Career Academy Chicago, IL United States June 8, 2010 Photo by Paul Warner/WireImage.com To license this image (60680843), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Kanye West Foundation Chief Executive Officer Joseph Collins (R) and Chicago Public School Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman (L) attend the Kanye West Foundation's 3rd annual Stay in School event at the Farragut Career Academy on June 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Kanye West Foundation's 3rd Annual Stay In School Event Farragut Career Academy Chicago, IL United States June 8, 2010 Photo by Paul Warner/WireImage.com To license this image (60680846), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Musician Lupe Fiasco and musician/actor Common attend the luncheon on behalf of the Kanye West Foundation at Buca di Beppo Chicago on June 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Kanye West Common & Lupa Fiasco Luncheon on Behalf of Kanye West Foundation Buca di Beppo Chicago Chicago, IL United States June 8, 2010 Photo by Barry Brecheisen/WireImage.com To license this image (60681258), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

CHICAGO - JUNE 08: Kanye West (L) and Common perform at the Kanye West Foundation's 3rd annual Stay in School event at the Farragut Career Academy on June 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kanye West;Common

Kanye West Snapshots

CHICAGO - JUNE 08: Common performs at the Kanye West Foundation's 3rd annual Stay in School event at the Farragut Career Academy on June 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Common

Kanye West Snapshots

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2005 file photo, rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight is taken away by paramedics after he was shot in the leg at the Shore Club in Miami Beach, Fla. Knight, was shot once in the upper right leg by an unknown assailant at the star-studded party hosted by Grammy-wining hip hop artist Kanye West. More than four years later, Knight is claiming in a lawsuit that West and the Shore Club's owners failed to provide adequate security. Knight is seeking more than $1 million, including a 15-carat diamond earring he lost in the chaos. (AP Photo/Kim Tumey, File) NO SALES

Kanye West Snapshots

Singers Kanye West, Tony Bennett, Jennifer Hudson, Al Jardine, Jamie Foxx, Carlos Santana and others perform "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti" pose for a group picture following the recording session held at Jim Henson Studios on February 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. "We Are The World 25 Years For Haiti" Recording Session Jim Henson Studios Hollywood, CA United States February 2, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (59480499), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Singers A.R. Rahman, Gladys Knight, will.i.am, Toni Braxton, Brian Wilson, Kanye West and others perform at the "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti" recording session held at Jim Henson Studios on February 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. "We Are The World 25 Years For Haiti" Recording Session Jim Henson Studios Hollywood, CA United States February 2, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (59480685), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Singers Wyclef Jean, Kanye West and Jennifer Hudson perform at the "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti" recording session held at Jim Henson Studios on February 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. "We Are The World 25 Years For Haiti" Recording Session Jim Henson Studios Hollywood, CA United States February 2, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (59480534), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Singers Natalie Cole, Kanye West and Jennifer Hudson perform "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti" pose for a group picture following the recording session held at Jim Henson Studios on February 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. "We Are The World 25 Years For Haiti" Recording Session Jim Henson Studios Hollywood, CA United States February 2, 2010 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com To license this image (59480776), contact WireImage.com

Kanye West Snapshots

Tags: kanye west, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Comments

(17)

Tuesday 19 October

By leroy

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Here we go again generating publcity to sell a new cd. and let`s not forget about the suicide attempt that`s always good to grab the headlines.It still does`nt make me want to listen to or buy Kanye .

Wednesday 20 October

By d

Vote down Vote up Report this

wasnt it timberland who attempted sucide....get ur facts right

By Apostate

An equally sad irony is that,despite pulling out all
the stops to prove that he's no longer the raging egomaniac we all know him to be,he's only succeeded in reinforcing it with a vengeance any '80s action star can appreciate...

By Hugh Jassol

Can't we just ban HIM?

By SiastaEg

Great, now ban him from making more crappy music.

By HDAT

This guy is such a huge Racist.

I don't understand why nobody calls him out for it.

Why do the Media Outlets let people like this spread racism and hatred all the time.

Isn't that supposed to be against the direction we've been trying to move in for the past 150 years. Stop this racist crap. stop spreading hatred.

Just because your black doesn't give you the right to spread hatred all day long 24/7, 365 days a year.

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

He is black, so he can be as racist as he wants and nobody will say anything in fear being called a racist themselves.

By peachy

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Love Kanye West. He is what i call an artist. Not too many of them out there,,just a bunch of made up industry wanna-bes.

Haha....

By redbonesess

in the first place, Kanye is not as good as he thinks he is, so he has to do something to draw attention to himself; create a little controversial publicity! This is nothing new for Kanye West, he is notorious for his outrageous antics and really the public should be bored with him by now, I know I am!!!!

By jeffrey lebowski

if poor taste was criminal, kaney would be on death row...

By Donna

This guy will say and do, anything for attention.
Every singer that is starting to fade, always pulls some type of cheap trick, to try to sell their new cd. Kaynes cheap trick has been done, its been said, its been used before.
He was thinking of taking his own life? I dont think so. Kayne is way too in love with himself, to ever cause any kind of pain to him self. Only children thats never been taught any respect, will want to buy anything from kayne.

By Johnny Truelovee

Kayne Is A Very Egotist Human But In The Same Sence He Has Every Write TO Be That Way. He Is A True Lyricist And Most Individuals Can't Or Dont Want To See It. I Mean The Album Cover For Me Is Too MUCH!!! Not A Racist Act Just Visual Of His Demonic Mind Frame. Kanye West, Jay-z And Many More Artist Are Transmittting Messages That Most Of The Blinded Human Being Can't See Or Refuse To Imagaine. It A Message In Everything The Make From Jay-z On To The Next One Video To Kanye's "POWER" sipnet

By Yupp

Kanye is acctually a good artist! I think people are still hooked on this "Taylor Swift" drama. People act like they know her or something. If anything, we should be judging Kanye on his music, not on his "social life."

Thursday 21 October

By bertty

If Kanye picture is on the cover can't they just cover his picture up Yucky ugly guy ..Who stop him from killing himself i want to ring their neck

Saturday 23 October

By mukeye

Sad sad desperation for relevance and attention which is obviously obfuscated by using descriptions like edgy or pushing the envelop.

All I can say is when you trace the train-wreck that is developing in front of you: the suicide attempt, the rant at the award show, the change of the teeth etc, these are desperate stunts but of course we are dismissive and saying it is being a celebrity. No it is not. He has gone round the bend.

Thursday 25 November

By Tucker

This is an incredibly biased post. People act like Taylor Swift is so talented and that her music is so great. She has a nice voice and is nice looking but her music is pop garbage. Kanye has more talent in his pinky finger than she does. He makes daring and beautiful music and is also good at marketing himself. All publicity is good pulicity. Anyway, stop hating. Kanye is easily one of the best ARTISTS out there nowadays.

Page 1 of 1