In an interview with People Saturday, Houston’s cousin Damon Elliott slammed Kanye West (who produced the album) for using the photo, which West reportedly paid $85,000 for.
“I immediately got sick to my stomach because it took me right back to six years ago,” he said. “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.”
He continued, referencing West’s recent social media controversies, “I’ve watched the train wreck happening, but I didn’t think he’d go this far in invading someone’s family privacy.”
West has not commented on the controversy but shared his thoughts on the album on Twitter Thursday.
KANYE WEST✔@kanyewest
Daytona is the first project out of Wyoming. I’m really proud of what we put together. 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.
“I’m really proud of what we put together,” he wrote. “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.”
Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012. The official coroner’s report said she drowned in her bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors.
Article Appeared @https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/05/26/whitney-houstons-cousin-slams-kanye-west-daytona-cover-art/647290002/