Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has revealed that the cover art of his highly anticipated upcoming album will allegedly feature a shot by recently re-emerged Japanese photographer Daidō Moriyama, 86.
However, in classic Ye style, the ‘announcement’ is shrouded in mystery and erratic behavior.
The new album Bully is expected to drop before the end of this year, and will be Ye’s first solo album since Donda in 2021.
The rapper first posted the image on his Instagram account on October 23, stating it was taken by Moriyama in the caption. According to Hip Hop DX, the image “appears to be his son Saint” sporting a mouth grill similar to the one Ye got earlier this year, costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars and requiring him to have his teeth remodeled with titanium.
Ye then deleted the image, and reposted it on October 25, editing the caption the next day and removing any mention of Moriyama from the post.
The identity of the subject has also not not been confirmed.
Italian digital magazine Outpump has said on its Instagram that the image was indeed taken by Moriyama, and is in reference to ohaguro, a coming of age Japanese teeth blackening practice using iron filings and vinegar popular between the 10th and 19th centuries, that was a symbol of beauty and emerging in to adulthood.
Ye has reportedly been living in a hotel in Tokyo while recording Bully, having moved recording equipment in to the room.
Despite Ye initially captioning the now deleted image “shot by Daidō Moriyama,” it’s not clear why he then deleted the post, or if this is true.
It’s an unlikely partnership, but not completely outside the realms of possibility. The cover art of one of Ye's most popular albums Graduation, 2007, was designed by fellow Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
Moriyama was born in Osaka in 1938, growing up in the aftermath of World War II. He published his photobook Japan: A Photo Theater in 1968, and his subsequent work focused on street photography, documented the harsh realities of urban post-war life in Japan with a rawness captured through blurred movements, harsh contrast and grained textures.
Highly decorated within the industry, he has also had a prolific career, producing more than 150 photobooks since 1968.
His latest book Record 2 is a sequel to Record, 2017. Published by Thames & Hudson, Record was a collection of photographic work from Moriyama’s magazine of the same name. Record 2 picks up where its prequel stopped, featuring work from 20 issues of the magazine, from 2017 to today.
Record 2 is available from Thames & Hudson for £60 ($75).
Take a look at our guides to the best retro cameras, the best camera for street photography, and the best cameras for black and white photography.
