Worst to Best: Ranking Every Ye Album Cover

Published 12/25/2024, 1:48 AM EST

Kanye West, now Ye has never had a problem demanding attention, be it his bigger-than-life personality, antics, or his bold and feisty record albums. But to be real, many a time his album covers are as vivid as the music itself. From minimalist designs to jaw-dropping tracks, Ye has never played safe with his music. He has made people raise eyebrows and gotten the attention of the internet time and again with not only his music but also his album covers each being a statement piece. 

While Ye's music always hits, so does his album, covers. With that, here is a ranking of Ye's album covers, that will sure be an entertaining ride.

12. Yeezus (2013)

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Ye dropped a simple, minimalist design with the 'Yeezus' album cover that, despite its simplicity, managed to stand out. It was quite a brilliant move, putting a picture of a stark, bare CD which was sealed inside a clear box held close by a piece of red tape on one side. By choosing such a simple presentation, Ye let the album's music speak for itself, rather than making it a whole bold presentation. 

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11. The Life of Pablo (2016)

Peter De Potter's design of Ye's 'The Life of Pablo' cover was as abstract as any cover could get. It was a striking mix of artistry features, against a bright orangish peach solid background cover that immediately catches the eye. The album cover screamed chaos, with multiple overlapping texts, the first being the album's name repeated over and over again 7 times in a row, and the text "WHICH ONE" adorning both sides of the cover in the bottom. 

With all that text in the background of the cover, came a wedding picture which was slapped onto somewhat in the center, and a shot of a British model Sheniz Halil's behind, reportedly selected by Kim Kardashian. This cover art definitely gave everyone something to talk about with its bold color choices and picture statements. 

10. Donda (2021)

The album cover of Ye's tenth studio album, 'Donda', which was a loving tribute to his late mother, got a lot of mixed reactions from fans. Its cover art was entirely just a simple solid black square, to show Ye's pain and healing journey. While some people saw the simplicity behind the cover as speaking deep volumes about introspection and a sense of pain and connection, others criticized the cover, naming it to be too simple. 

9. Jesus Is King (2019)

Now the album cover of 'Jesus Is King' when released, did not only get fans talking but sitting down and hunting, trying to get to the bottom of what it meant. The cover art was a simple feature of royal-blue vinyl, the catch here was the small cryptic code stamped in golden in the center that said, "AR 1331 A". Fans took it upon themselves and went on a crazy scavenger hunt to uncover the meaning behind these letters. 

Before fans jumped to crazy conclusions, Ben Blackwell came to the rescue. The co-founder of Third Man Records revealed that the code refers to the catalog number for a 1970 Detroit gospel single by Rubye Shelton on Archer Records' pressing plant. These numbers came as somewhat of a tribute to the gospel artist, adding to the richness of the cover, which was simple by itself. 

8. Ye (2018)

For his 2018 album 'Ye', Ye literally used a cover shot that he snapped on his iPhone from the car as he was on a drive to the album's listening party. The shot Ye used was of this beautiful image that showed the snow-capped Teton Range in Wyoming, and on it are scribbled the words, "I hate being Bi-Polar it's awesome" in bright green. The whole cover art for this album is a candid and raw shot at Ye's openness about his mental health issues, with his usual quirky twist to it that grabbed all the attention. 

7. Late Registration (2005)

The cover of 'Late Registration' as cute as it looks at first glance, with the Dropout Bear making an appearance dressed in college clothes, holds a deeper meaning and was shot in an actual university by photographer Sarah A. Friedman. As Ye turned to Morning Breath, Inc. to design the cover, they delivered a cover that was inspired by the satiric paintings of John Currin, whose more provocative and humorous works are quite famous. 

6. 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

When Ye dropped '808s & Heartbreak' in 2008, it came as a sharp turn from his previous productions, as he used auto-tune and minimalist beats to bring out the raw emotion. Just like the music was a straight-up hit and is still one of his most iconic works, the album cover too caught the eye of fans. Featuring a balloon in the form of a heart that is somewhat flat it directly translates to the themes of heartbreak, loss, and being vulnerable, making it quite the perfect face for this album. 

5. Kids See Ghosts (2018)

Remember when Ye and Kid Cudi came together and released this crazy psychedelic album called 'Kids See Ghosts' in 2018, and the cover art was spooky enough to grab all the attention. Returning designer Takashi Murakami, who worked with Ye for his 'Graduation' album, worked on the cover art for 'Kids See Ghosts' as well. The art's haunting beauty perfectly complemented the ghostly atmosphere of 'Ghost Town' and 'Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)'.

4. Watch the Throne (2011)

Perfectly following up the royal feeling of the name of the album was its cover art designed by Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, which was a mix of detailed gold patterns and drawings that relate back to medieval royalty. 'Watch the Throne', was the iconic Jay-Z and Kanye West's joint project that moved along the lines of power and richness, which was shown beautifully by the choice of cover art. The gold drawings printed on gold mylar included an 18-panel poster that only added to the rich feel that oozed from the album. 

3. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

Ye turned to George Condo to come up with this edgy imagery of a crown head being stabbed by a sword for his 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' album, which was the tamer edition of the first choice for album art. The first choice was that of a female winged figure with a polka-dotted tail somewhat straddling Ye which led to a huge controversy because of its explicit nature. The whole controversy that surrounded the cover gave it a bigger boost rather than pulling it down like one would hope. 

2. Graduation (2007)

Ye brought back the Dropout Bear to the 'Graduation' album cover in 2007 with the mascot bear now soaring from university city looking very much like Astro boy in his letterman jacket and sparkly accessories. Ye in collaboration with Takashi Murakami brought bright cartoon-type visuals that match the themes of the music very aptly. 

1. The College Dropout (2004)

Talking about the iconic debut album of Ye, 'The College Dropout,' whose cover art became quite the talk in the Hip-Hop scene. Ye, instead of going with a flashy image, chose to be on his debut album cover by sitting on gym bleachers, wearing a mascot bear's costume. The choice of cover art hinted at his history as a college dropout, but not leaving behind that hint of richness with the gold emblem borders.

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The bear mascot soon became a new identity for Ye, and it also set a tone for his future works, with the bear mascot coming back in his future album covers as well, evolving each time. 

It is clear how Ye's album covers are as daring, individualistic, and thought-provoking as the music he puts out. You may have loved or hated a design, but you will agree that each cover made a statement, just like the man himself.

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Which is your favorite Ye album cover and why? Let us know in the comments!

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Akshaya Deeksha

75 articles

Akshaya Deeksha is an Entertainment Writer at NetflixJunkie. With her passion to explore the evolving world of entertainment and her journalistic sense, she specializes in cinematic storytelling and Hollywood developments. Her expertise in lifestyle writing allows her to connect with readers through relatable content.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

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