Update!

Kanye West Spends $85,000 to Put Whitney Houston Bathroom Photo on Pusha T's Album

Rapper changed the artwork just days before the album is expected to be released

By Mike Vulpo May 25, 2018 1:52 AMTags

UPDATEBobby Brown, the New Edition singer and ex-husband of Whitney Houston, has responded to the album art featured on Pusha T's new album. In an interview with Rolling Stone published Wednesday, Brown didn't hold back when he said Kanye West, who purchased the rights to the photo depicting Houston's bathroom, deserves to be slapped. 

"That's really disgusting that he would do that," Brown told the publication. "That's in really bad taste. Something should happen to Kanye. He's already crazy. I knew that when I first met him. Now he's pushing the bar a little bit. He needs somebody to slap him up or something. And I'm just the person to do it."

West has not responded to Brown's remarks. 

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Kanye West's creative vision is raising some eyebrows once again.

Earlier today, the rapper took to Twitter and revealed the new cover art for Pusha T's upcoming album DAYTONA.

As it turns out, the photo appears to be a photograph of Whitney Houston's drug-covered bathroom that was previously published in the National Enquirer.

In an added twist, Pusha T claimed in a new interview that Kanye paid $85,000 to license the image.

"1 a.m., my phone rings, no caller-ID. 'Hey, yeah, I think that we should change the artwork. I like this other artwork.' Now this other artwork is 85 grand," Pusha T explained on The Angie Martinez Show earlier this week when recalling the decision. "I said, ‘Hey, I don't want to pay for that. And I wasn't even going to ask you to pay for that. We picked what we picked. It's here, it's ready.' ‘No, this what people need to see to go along with this music. I'ma pay for that.'"

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Musicians Performing Live on Stage

He added, "I love it. I actually do love it. It's dope. I absolutely didn't want to pay for it."

When host Angie Martinez asked during Wednesday's interview what the picture was, Pusha T remained mum.

"It's a picture. To license it worldwide is $85,000," he teased. "I'm not really too fully entrenched in the art world like that. I'm just going to let him do his thing."

E! News has reached out to Whitney's estate for any comment.

For those unfamiliar with the project, Kanye helped produce Pusha T's album and has been promoting the finished product on Twitter. After the cover art was released, Kanye expressed gratitude for all the positive reviews thus far.

"DAYTONA is the first project out of Wyoming.  I'm really proud of what we put together," Kanye explained. "We've spent a year and a half digging for samples and writing. I really appreciate the overwhelmingly positive response that we've been receiving."

Just last month, Kanye also made headlines when he revealed on Twitter that his album cover may include a picture of the plastic surgeon who performed his late mom's final surgery. 

(This story was originally published Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 6:52 p.m.)