Kanye courts controversy – again!
Like many of his contemporaries, rapper Kanye West seems to like whipping up a media storm. However, while the likes of Eminem and Lil Wayne often opt for abrasive, in-your-face material littered with sex and swear words, Kanye is… well… a little bit on the weird side. Best known to the wider pop audience as ‘that bloke in the bear suit’, Kanye is probably the most eccentric rapper on the scene today, and is set to build on that reputation with his new album. Due to hit the shelves on 22nd November, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ features some interesting cover art, which Kanye claims has already been banned in the U.S.
The artwork features a monstrous-looking black man – presumably Kanye – lying naked on a couch, clutching a bottle of alcohol. If that wasn’t odd enough, on top of the man is an armless, winged white woman with a spotty tail – also fairly monstrous – apparently in the middle of the baby-making act. It’s all pretty bizarre, and according to a recent Tweet by the rapper, has not gone down well with U.S. censors.
On 17th October, Kanye posted a picture of the cover on Twitter, commenting “Banned in the USA!!! They don't want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!” He later complained, “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”, followed by, “In response to the reaction of my album cover... "I'm deeply sorry if I haven't offended everybody"”.
Despite negative reactions from censors and the mainstream media, the artwork appears to have gone down well with the majority of Kanye’s fans, and has certainly provoked a lot of discussion and debate – which is probably just what the rapper was after in the first place.
To coincide with the album’s release, West has also directed a short, 35-minute movie called ‘Runaway in LA’, which is due to premiere on American cable channels on the 23rd October. Narrated by rapper Nicki Minaj, the film includes excerpts of nine new Kanye tracks, while also featuring the music of Rihanna, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Elton John. At a press screening of the movie on 19th October, Kanye told the assembled audience that he was a “soldier for culture”, and that he had discovered his “creative sweet spot by thinking like a five-year-old at all times.” However, it’s unlikely that a five year old would have come up with the new album cover, unless the kid had had a pretty messed up childhood!
