Controversial Album Covers

Musicians stir the spot with shocking artwork.

The Rundown, Game's Jesus Piece - Despite his name, it's difficult to discern when Game is playing and when he isn't. He's one of rap's biggest provocateurs and most effective trolls, after all. So it was hard to know what to make of the controversial cover to his new album, Jesus Piece. The image, which blended a seeming gang member with a saint, suggests a deep exploration of the lines between good and evil, between religion and real life.  Because Game's never been one for album-length statements, it was easy to think the only one here was "any publicity is good publicity." Which way did Game end up going? A concept or just a product? And more importantly: Does it sound good? Check out this track-by-track rundown of Game's Jesus Piece to find our answers to these questions and more. — Alex Gale    (Photo: Interscope Records)

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Controversial Album Covers - Game is playing his usual games. The Compton rapper, one of music's greatest trolls, is stirring the pot yet again with the artwork for his new album, Jesus Piece, which features a gangsta-fied Blood version of God's son. Of course, album covers like this are nothing new. Musicians have often used shocking images to express themselves — and their craving for media attention. Read on to see music's most controversial album covers. —Alex Gale (Photo: Interscope Records)

Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - The cover of Kanye West's 2010 opus My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was a bizarre illustration by artist George Condo featuring a scowling Kanye West holding a bottle while being straddled by a naked, armless, winged female creature of some sort. West tweeted that some retailers had banned the cover, but a Wal-Mart spokesperson insisted that wasn't true. Later, a New Yorker article reported that Kanye had specifically sought an image that would be banned. Either way, alternate covers with tamer artwork were released as well. (Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records) 

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Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - The cover of Kanye West's 2010 opus My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was a bizarre illustration by artist George Condo featuring a scowling Kanye West holding a bottle while being straddled by a naked, armless, winged female creature of some sort. West tweeted that some retailers had banned the cover, but a Wal-Mart spokesperson insisted that wasn't true. Later, a New Yorker article reported that Kanye had specifically sought an image that would be banned. Either way, alternate covers with tamer artwork were released as well. (Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records) 

Prince, Lovesexy - Prince's 1988 album Lovesexy showed a nude Purple One surrounded by phallic flowers. Some retailers refused to stock the album, or wrapped it in black packaging — ironic, as the LP was a last-minute replacement for Prince's never-released Black Album, which featured an all-black cover. (Photo: Warner Bros Records)

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Prince, Lovesexy - Prince's 1988 album Lovesexy showed a nude Purple One surrounded by phallic flowers. Some retailers refused to stock the album, or wrapped it in black packaging — ironic, as the LP was a last-minute replacement for Prince's never-released Black Album, which featured an all-black cover. (Photo: Warner Bros Records)

Ice-T - Home Invasion (March 23, 1993) - Ice-T ended his relationship with Sire Records over the Home Invasion cover, which showed a young white boy in headphones listening to rap music and surrounded by menacing black figures. After the label insisted on a change, T got out of his deal and took the album over to Priority Records, where it was released with album art as originally conceived.

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Ice-T, Home Invasion - The cover to this 1993 Ice-T album featured a white child enthralled by black culture, oblivious to his parents being attacked by black home invaders. Ice's label, Sire/Warner Bros., refused to release the album with the violent artwork. In response, Ice decamped to Priority Records, who released the record with its intended cover. (Photo: EMI Records)

The Coup, Party Music - This album from The Coup featured the Bay Area conscious-rap vets blowing up the World Trade Center, and was coincidentally set to be dropped in early September 2001. After 9/11, the album was postponed to November, when it was released with less incendiary artwork. (Photo: Tommy Boy Records)

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The Coup, Party Music - This album from The Coup featured the Bay Area conscious-rap vets blowing up the World Trade Center, and was coincidentally set to be dropped in early September 2001. After 9/11, the album was postponed to November, when it was released with less incendiary artwork. (Photo: Tommy Boy Records)

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Ice Cube, Death Certificate - No stranger to controversy, Ice Cube stirred up a firestorm once again with his 1991 sophomore solo album, Death Certificate, which featured Cube standing over a corpse draped in an American flag and toe-tagged "Uncle Sam." The state of Oregon banned the use of Ice Cube's image in response. (Photo: EMI Records)

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Ice Cube, Death Certificate - No stranger to controversy, Ice Cube stirred up a firestorm once again with his 1991 sophomore solo album, Death Certificate, which featured Cube standing over a corpse draped in an American flag and toe-tagged "Uncle Sam." The state of Oregon banned the use of Ice Cube's image in response. (Photo: EMI Records)

2 Live Crew, As Nasty as They Wanna Be - The racy, pre-"Thong Song" artwork for 2 Live Crew's 1989 double-play blockbuster matched its explicit content, which prompted a Florida judge to label the album obscene and attempt to ban it. (Photo: Fresh Beat Records)

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2 Live Crew, As Nasty as They Wanna Be - The racy, pre-"Thong Song" artwork for 2 Live Crew's 1989 double-play blockbuster matched its explicit content, which prompted a Florida judge to label the album obscene and attempt to ban it. (Photo: Fresh Beat Records)

Makaveli (2Pac), The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory - The cover to this posthumous 1996 classic, which depicted Tupac getting crucified, included a disclaimer: "In no way is this portrait an expression of disrespect for Jesus Christ." The image not only offended some Christians, however — it also helped fuel persistent rumors that Pac was still alive. (Photo: Interscope Records)

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Makaveli (2Pac), The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory - The cover to this posthumous 1996 classic, which depicted Tupac getting crucified, included a disclaimer: "In no way is this portrait an expression of disrespect for Jesus Christ." The image not only offended some Christians, however — it also helped fuel persistent rumors that Pac was still alive. (Photo: Interscope Records)

2. KMD - A trio from Long Beach, NY, KMD, which stood for Kausin' Much Damage, also caused many headaches at their record label. They were known to record with fellow Five Percenters and were brash about their attitudes toward Black empowerment. It was their second album, Black Bastards (it's pictured above), that proved so controversial that they were dropped. Despite the controversy, one member, Zev Love X, managed to reinvent himself years later as the underground cult rap icon MF Doom. (Photo: ReadyRock Records)

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KMD, Black Bastards - The cover to the 1993 sophomore album from KMD (featuring MF Doom, then known as Zevlove X), which depicted a Sambo figure being lynched, prompted Elektra to cancel the album and drop the New York duo. (Photo: ReadyRock Records)  

Master P, Ghetto D - Master P's 1997 album was originally titled Ghetto Dope and featured a crack addict smoking from a glass pipe, but retailers balked big time. Ever conscious of the bottom line, P renamed the album Ghetto D, and the offending image was replaced by a random collage. (Photo: EMI Records)

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Master P, Ghetto D - Master P's 1997 album was originally titled Ghetto Dope and featured a crack addict smoking from a glass pipe, but retailers balked big time. Ever conscious of the bottom line, P renamed the album Ghetto D, and the offending image was replaced by a random collage. (Photo: EMI Records)

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland  - This is one of the few cases in which the label went for controversy over the artist's wishes. For the U.K. release of this 1968 double album, Jimi's label, Reprise, replaced the original image, of Jimi and the band surrounded by children, with a photo of 19 nude women posing against a black backdrop. Jimi disavowed the cover, which caused a major stir in Britain. (Photo: David Montgomery/Getty Images)