Washington
(ANI):
Kanye
West
certainly
knows
how
to
stay
in
the
limelight.
The
prolific
rap
giant
has
stirred
buzz
after
he
tweeted
on
Sunday
that
the
U.S.
banned
the
cover
art
for
his
new
album
My
Beautiful
Dark
Twisted
Fantasy" because
of
explicit
nudity.
“Yoooo
they
banned
my
album
cover!!!!!," Fox
News
quoted
Kanye
as
tweeting.
“Banned
in
the
USA!!!
They
don"t
want
me
chilling
on
the
couch
with
my
phoenix!"
he
wrote.
Kanye
also
reminded
his
fans
that
“"70s
album
covers
had
actual
nudity,"
reluctantly
adding
that
“everything
has
been
so
commercialized
now."
According
to
the
Los
Angeles
Times,
which
interviewed
a
source
familiar
with
the
debate
between
West
and
Universal
Music
Group"s
Island
Def
Jam,
the
decision
to
change
the
cover
art
wasn"t
so
one-sided.
“West
was
strongly
urged
to
use
alternate
art,"
the
source
said,
adding
that
West
“was
told
if
he
wanted
to
do
it,
the
label
would
stand
behind
him."
The
real
issue
surrounding
the
content
of
the
cover
art,
according
to
the
source,
was
whether
or
not
retail
stores,
such
as
Wal-Mart
or
Best
Buy,
would
sell
an
item
that
blatantly
displays
nudity.
Retail
stores,
which
make
up
at
least
10
percent
of
physical
CD
sales,
according
to
Nielsen
SoundScan,
could
have
a
major
impact
on
West"s
album
sales
if
he
decided
to
boycott,
especially
with
the
holiday
season
approaching.
"In
all
honesty
...
I
really
don't
be
thinking
about
Wal-Mart
when
I
make
my
music
or
album
covers
#Kanyeshrug!,"
Kanye
tweeted.
“My
Beautiful
Dark
Twisted
Fantasy"
is
slated
for
a
Nov.
22
release
in
the
U.S.