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August 9, 2007

Kanye West's Graduation Cover (For Real)

A few weeks ago, everybody with a .com jumped the gun in posting a heavily copyrighted image, assuming it was the album art for for Kanye's forthcoming Graduation. (Including us, of course.) But now we've got the real cover design (unless 'Ye's just playing), with just as much bruin and just as much information regarding intellectual property protection emblazoned upon it.

Amazon and the more-reliable iTunes confirm its authenticity, and Vulture confirms the prior iteration as promo art. So we see the cuddly Kanye bear being making his way/being projected out of that great university in the purple 'n' mauve heavens. He lost his fashionable venetian shades somewhere along the way, but he needn't worry -- Kanye doesn't leave home without a spare pair. Vulture sees Mr. West's enlisting Japanese artist Takashi Murakami as a reflection of his "recent stylistic infatuation with contemporary Japanese art and anime." But we have no idea what they're talking about.

Posted at 5:01 PM in
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36 Comments

Looks like smegma.

Posted by: Uncircumsized at 08/09/07 5:09 PM | Reply
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Yeah for cartoons! I didn't really care for the bear suits.

Posted by: No1Threat. BEARS! at 08/09/07 5:15 PM | Reply
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I'm guessing it's supposed to be glitter. But the text looks like a bad .bmp, or however it is that Paint files get all clustered.

Posted by: captain obvious at 08/09/07 5:18 PM | Reply
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Kanye West is the probably the worst rapper ever. "Uh uh" - "Uh uh" - "Uh uh".

Posted by: Dog Boner (protruding from fur sheath) at 08/09/07 5:20 PM | Reply
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smeg"meh"

meh- but then again, since when did album covers mean anything?

Posted by: steve at 08/09/07 5:22 PM | Reply
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My cousin hates the bear mascot because he believes that artists should put their face on the CD cover.

Posted by: Oniel Vanriel at 08/09/07 5:26 PM | Reply
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That cover looks awful. It looks worse than the cover from Lupe Fiasco's Album.

Posted by: eddie at 08/09/07 5:26 PM | Reply
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this is my favorite one.

Posted by: dave park at 08/09/07 5:28 PM | Reply
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w...t...f

Posted by: kylie at 08/09/07 5:43 PM | Reply
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The fake one was better.

Posted by: Scotta at 08/09/07 5:44 PM | Reply
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Kanye's behind the curve and not afraid to flaunt it. Had he graduated class of 2000 this would almost be acceptable. It looks really dated at this point.

Posted by: mf McNutt at 08/09/07 5:51 PM | Reply
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Cover art brought to you by Sanrio.

Posted by: Vinny at 08/09/07 6:27 PM | Reply
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Who cares about the cover! Where can I download the album?

Posted by: Karotonik at 08/09/07 6:29 PM | Reply
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Wow! Awesome I love Murakami.

Very clever to get the Louis Vuiton Don's album cover designed by the guy who saved Louis Vuiton's ass.

Posted by: Jono at 08/09/07 9:50 PM | Reply
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kanGayWest

Posted by: 2 sheds at 08/09/07 11:06 PM | Reply
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i llike it.

Posted by: adrienne at 08/10/07 12:02 AM | Reply
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yeah the fake cover was a lot better.

Posted by: Liam at 08/10/07 12:55 AM | Reply
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I'm digging the Takashi Murakami. I wonder how people in the US will respond to it.

Posted by: James at 08/10/07 1:52 AM | Reply
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That looks like the back of the CD case actually.

Posted by: Eduardo at 08/10/07 2:48 AM | Reply
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I hate Kanye West. His music is rubbish and in person he comes across as being extremely dull. I just wanted to say that.

Posted by: neil at 08/10/07 7:29 AM | Reply
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Maybe...the trick's on us!?

Posted by: wes at 08/10/07 10:13 AM | Reply
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I feel that this isn't nearly polished enough to be the real cover (looks fan-made), I'm holding out until I see it in Virgin.

Posted by: Finchmeister at 08/10/07 10:16 AM | Reply
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So the other day the wifey and I were watching the Kanye/zach galifianakis video, and she said, "This isn't a real Kanye West song is it?"

And I said, "Yes, it is."

"Wow, this is just awful." she said "I didn't know he was that bad."

True story

Posted by: butylcarbamate at 08/10/07 12:14 PM | Reply
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Moronkomi is a fraud, who wouldn't know what art was to save his life. Just some manga comic illustrator who sold his soul to the establishment. It's whatever you can get away with this day in age! It's Disney! By the way Vuilton is just a name that makes people feel good about their shallow existence. Bandying a Vuilton label advertises bourgeois empty soul!

Posted by: artcop at 08/11/07 11:18 AM | Reply
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the illustration is good, that font/color choice is terrible and the negative space at the bottom left needs some fillin'... (probably with an explicit lyrics sticker)

Posted by: Goon at 08/12/07 11:39 AM | Reply
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OMG, music that gets played on the radio? I will not hear of it!

Not that its particularly uncouth, but I feel that the shunning of mainstream hip-hop somehow bolsters an inner-sense of originality that I would otherwise be devoid of.

True Story.

Posted by: hydrallus at 08/15/07 12:38 AM | Reply
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it looks awesome

Posted by: kanye at 08/15/07 5:19 PM | Reply
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i smell pussy

Posted by: fiddy muther fucker at 08/16/07 1:09 PM | Reply
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shit looks like a cartoon tryin to be edgy in 1991

Posted by: mattpoco at 08/17/07 2:48 PM | Reply
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Takashi Murakami painted this.. this wasnt done on photoshop... quality art ( i'd like to see if half you haters could pull off painting with color coordination in half of these shapes) you fuck up a lil bit and the shit looks ugly

Posted by: nigel at 08/30/07 1:00 PM | Reply
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can some1 please tell me wat the album cover is soppose to be lol???

Posted by: gfvbjng at 09/09/07 1:48 AM | Reply
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You people need to shut the f up. Kanye West is a great rapper and his new song Stronger is the shit.

Posted by: Andy B at 09/09/07 4:58 PM | Reply
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Wow u guys are haterss,Kanye is the man!!

Posted by: A Butta at 09/12/07 2:03 AM | Reply
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The man is way before his time.....he may even be as good as jay z if not better. After Jay there should be no more and there is. Mr. West!!! There are people trying to keep hip hop alive. Listen to what the man has to say. His lyricism is extraordinary and complex like jay's. Thats why half of you haters can't understand what he's talkin about. Don't be a ban-wagon hater. If you gotta hate then do it for a reason not because everyone else is doing it........ONE! HOLLA!

Posted by: Arthur Houston at 09/13/07 5:01 PM | Reply
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so much hate lol i liked the cover....its different just like kanye get outta here with all that bull shit

Posted by: Mike O'Bryan at 09/17/07 11:58 PM | Reply
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I love your work I'm a big fan

Posted by: Keelon at 06/23/08 10:46 PM | Reply
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