Kanye West and Los Angeles icon The Game put out their show-stopping single “Eazy” this past week, which featured disses to Pete Davidson and the Kardashians, as well as Ye returning to releasing explicit music.
The song is believed to have been created during West’s recent studio sessions for his upcoming Donda 2 album.
Another aspect of “Eazy’s” release was its cover art, which Ye revealed on his Instagram a day before the song dropped. The photo used depicts a skinned monkey corpse, taken by British fashion photographer Nick Knight, and unsettled some fans because of how graphic it was.
Reference for Ye’s insta post.
— Ye Daily (@KanyeYeezusNews) January 14, 2022
From Nick Knight for Show Studios – a Study in physiology, form, philosophy and death. @KanyePodcast pic.twitter.com/wbLig7Dtfh
Of these disturbed parties included PETA, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, who adamantly disapproved of the use of the corpse for the song’s art. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk spoke to Billboard about their gripe with West and “Eazy,” saying that this abuse of the monkey’s body is wrong.
“The photo is reminiscent of the monkeys PETA has found, sometimes heads, sometimes hands, sometimes the whole body, in meat markets around the world and it makes it clear that when you remove the fur you can’t miss that there’s a person in there, that they are fellow primates, and do not belong to us to abuse for any purpose — not in laboratories, roadside zoos, movies, or meat markets.”
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk
The disturbing image of a skinned monkey that @kanyewest shared serves as a reminder that there’s no real difference between humans & other animals.
— PETA (@peta) January 14, 2022
Their lives aren’t easy when we abuse & kill them for food, experiments, clothing, or entertainment. #EndSpeciesism pic.twitter.com/ApA8McboJy
It is currently unclear how Kanye and The Game obtained the photo or why they decided to use it. However, The Game gave a brief quote about the track in a press release the day “Eazy” dropped.
“Life should be eazy for everybody, we make the choice to complicate it for ourselves & others. Change your perspective & change the world.“
The Game
Check out our previous coverage of Kanye West and The Game’s new single “Eazy” below!