My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West stirs controversy

A topless phoenix and a demon appeared in the album cover released for Kanye's new album. Kanye says the album will have five covers all painted by George Condo.

Geniuses don’t always work and play well with others
Rapper Kanye West is always stirring controversy, it seems. His latest is the cover art for his upcoming album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," scheduled to be released on Nov. 22.

Does Kanye West not remind you of legends like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Madonna, Bob Marley, Tupac, Michael Jackson and others?

Does this album cover not fall within the kind of prank the Abami Eda,
Material Girl or 2PAC would play? Remember “Just like a virgin” by
Madonna and the burning crosses in that musical video? Remember
Fela with his huge wraps of “cigarettes”?

A common thread amongst these great artistes is the "rebelliousness" of their music and ways. They stir up things, always pushing the envelope and taking us to new frontiers. They are daring, outspoken and mention to the embarrassment of some, the huge elephant in the room (stereotyping, religious hypocrisy, racism, poverty, human failings, oppression and even nudity) that others pretend isn't there. They are truth seekers, sometimes controversial but socially relevant and producing thought provoking works.

This is a source of concern, to me personally, as our current Nigerian musical ‘stars’ churn out empty lyrics and compositions – their only consideration appears to be that it has a party beat.
In my candid opinion, Kanye West is a genius – toss the album cover aside if it is too hot to handle - and just listen to the lyrics and flow with his rhythms.