Pusha T would probably agree that there’s no limit to how far Kanye West will go for his art. In this case, the controversial producer used the late Whitney Houston as a source of inspiration.
The album for Pusha’s new album, Daytona, looks somewhat decadent at first glance. But closer inspection reveals a bathroom filled with drug paraphernalia clearly visible in the 2006 image.
The photograph was taken in Houston’s Atlanta home after an alleged drug binge, apparently related to the singer’s consumption of crack cocaine.
The image was released to the public after Houston’s death at the Beverly Hilton hotel in February 2012, which was caused by drowning in her bathtub and the effects of coronary heart disease and cocaine consumption.
In an interview with radio host Angie Martinez, Pusha said that West, who produced the album, changed the artwork at the last minute, calling him at 1 am saying: “This is what people need to see to go along with this music.” The My Name Is My Name rapper said West paid $85,000 to license the visual.
Kanye West planned to use a mug-shot of Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who performed an operation that led to the death of West’s mother, on his album cover, titled Love Everyone. Adams issued a “cease and desist,” requesting the that rapper not use the image.