The Whitney Houston Estate is reportedly reeling from Kanye West’s choice to use a photo of the late music icon’s drug-laden bathroom for the cover of Pusha T’s DAYTONA album.
In a statement obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the estate says it’s “extremely disappointed in Kanye’s choice. Even in Whitney’s death, we see that no one is exempt from the harsh realities of the world.”
Following the album’s May 25 release, Houston’s cousin Damon Elliott told People Magazine he was “disgusted,” while Houston’s nephew Gary Michael Houston defended West’s choice.
“The person who violated the trust of my aunt by taking the photo and selling it to tabloids for their own personal and/or financial gain is more of a travesty to me,” Gary Michael told Good Morning America. “People should research that — because whoever exposed it are the people who violated her trust, mistreated her, and who should ultimately be held accountable for contributing to circumstances surrounding her demise.”
West spent $85,000 to obtain the controversial photo, which was reportedly taken by a family member in 2006 when the legendary singer was in the depths of her drug addiction.
Whitney Houston died on February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills. [apple_news_ad type=”any”]
(The original version of this article was published on May 26, 2018 and can be found below.)
The cover art Kanye West chose for Pusha T’s DAYTONA album isn’t sitting well with Whitney Houston’s family.
The image, which is a 2006 photo of Houston’s drug-laden bathroom, has reportedly infuriated Houston’s cousin Damon Elliott. He told People Magazine he wasn’t aware of the album art until he got a call from his daughter.
“[She was] frantic,” Elliott said. “She sent me this picture from the album cover and I immediately got sick to my stomach because it took me right back to six years ago.”
The late pop icon passed away in 2012. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, Houston’s death was caused by drowning and the “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.”
The image was a brutal reminder of the pain they felt finding out Houston was gone.
“I was actually in shock because I’m in the music business,” he said. “I’ve watched the train wreck happening, but I didn’t think he’d [West] go this far in invading someone’s family privacy. To do something for a publicity stunt to sell records, it’s absolutely disgusting. It hurt my family and my daughter. It’s petty. It’s tacky.”
“I just want him to tell me why he did it,” he added. “What is the creative side of this? What’s the point? It shows no creativity.”
Elliott said he reached out to his mother, legendary singer Dionne Warwick, to warn her before she stumble on it herself. He said he has yet to hear from Houston’s mother Cissy Houston.
Embed from Getty Images
Elliott is demanding an apology from West and wants the cover art to be replaced by something else. If he gets a call from ‘Ye, he’s prepared with questions.[apple_news_ad type=”any”]
“What were you thinking?” he said. “Did you think this through? And if you did, why did you do this? Because you’re hurting people. It knocked the wind out of me last night. When someone passes, you try to mourn and move on and remember the good times.
“Why are you going to pay $85,000 to bring something to the forefront?”
In an interview with Angie Martinez, Pusha explained that West called him in the middle of the night and said he wanted to change the cover art. But the G.O.O.D. Music president didn’t want to pay the $85,000 it would cost to buy the photo. West then agreed to foot the bill.
Since DAYTONA’s Friday (May 25) release, the album has already stirred up plenty of controversy and sparked a seething diss track from Drake.
that is one of the corniest album covers of all time.
You probably didn’t even know what it was until someone explained it to you. Corniest ??! It’s a real photo, real life and a real tragedy. How someone someone great can because just another static at the mercy of their addiction.
Kanye & Pusha wack for that
That cover art is fire though.
kanye is a fucking idiot
It’s a messy sink… who cares. Whitney Houston was a piece of shit drug addict. We don’t care about her family’s opinion. Facts
and yet she contributed more positivity and light to this world than you ever have or will.
What does that say about you.
Whitney’s drug addiction was a choice. That’s my answer.
Well Kanye’s a ho. You can tell a lot about a man through his choice in women
Pusha should change it oit of respect.will prob affect album sales
2 hands, on one: thats so fucked up, the other: its art, what does it mean, is it a cautionary tale of a particular lifestyle, is Push saying this will be his end or the end for his users…?
……..stfu u f.aggot lmao
Always a Uncle Ruckus in our mist see you get much attention from the devil control media as long as you attack your own kind Pusha represent nothing good or positive sold his soul sporting a dress in public and rapping tales of drug destruction Kanye on the other hand is a puppet who will pay the price this Bozo had his own mother killed for fame !!!!!!!!!
KANYE WEST IS A PIECE OF SHIT!!!! THAT IS ALL!!!!
The Album cover is genius. No question it could be hurting or jarring to a handful of relatives.
But listen to Pushas lyrics all about selling coke and the cover is a warning almost.. definitely shows the non glamorous end of the deal.
The opposite of the lyrical bragging etc.
Lastly we’re all discussing it, when was album artwork last even relevant or discussed deeply by anyone?
Kanye does loads and says a lot of things I think are incredibly fucking stupid… but he’s got it right artistically on this one.
Otherwise it’s just a seven track ‘underweight’ quality album with not much memorable except a Drake diss after a few weeks something new is out..
Another imaginary drug lord and the only guest feature?
Rick Ross? A pair of fake dealer rappers… lol
Good tunes but I remember they’re just audio actors, Hollywood Rap.
Zz.
how is the album cover genius? It’s typical Kardashian marketing trash. And y’all fall for it every time.
It is genius
Fuck anyone who disrespects Whitney.
Get at me.
Get at Whitney’s family for disrespecting Bobby.
LMAO “demand an apology”. where were they when she was feigning. they were too busy getting a check to think about her
Someone just needs to put out an album with Kardashian and I hit it first screenshots as album artwork and boom! Done
I love the alb cover. It depicts the location of Houston’s personal downfall. This is where Houston was self inflicting herself. Match that shit up with Pusha’s rhymes, and you got your self a pretty picture. Fuck you.
At first I thought it was a picture of the hotel she died in, but it was actually a picture of a hotel she stayed in back in like 2002. I really don’t see the big deal. But I also don’t see why they thought it would be a good cover for the album either, except of course the controversy that resulted, but there was already controversy with the Drake diss. Speaking of which, the album is so short they should add that new “Story of Adonis” track to it, because why not? I feel like nowadays rappers should be able to continue tweaking the album even after its released.