On Wednesday, Kanye West, now officially known as Ye, unveiled the eerie and striking cover for his forthcoming 11th studio album, Bully. The cover was shot by the legendary 86-year-old Japanese photographer Daidō Moriyama, whose renowned high-contrast, gritty photography style perfectly complements the unsettling mood Ye aims to convey with this project. The album cover features a model wearing a partially black grill, a design that seems to take inspiration from the $850,000 titanium teeth implants Kanye himself commissioned earlier this year.
These custom teeth were designed by Beverly Hills dentist Dr. Thomas Connelly and master dental technician Naoki Hayashi, known for crafting experimental and luxury dental pieces. The implants were reportedly inspired by the James Bond villain Jaws, whose metal teeth made him iconic. While initial reports speculated that Ye had his natural teeth removed, with sources claiming he had them shaved down to “little tombstones” (a common procedure for veneers), Dr. Connelly later clarified the situation in an interview with Complex. He confirmed that Kanye’s teeth were not removed and that his full dentition remains healthy and intact.
The celebrity dentist, who has worked with high-profile clients like Travis Barker and Post Malone, was thrust into further controversy in August when Milo Yiannopoulos made a shocking allegation. Yiannopoulos claimed that Dr. Connelly had gotten Ye addicted to nitrous oxide, a sedative gas commonly known as “laughing gas.” According to Yiannopoulos, the dentist was delivering $50,000 worth of nitrous oxide to Kanye each month at the Chateau Marmont hotel, where the rapper was reportedly staying. Yiannopoulos even shared a supposed screenshot of a text conversation with Ye on social media and filed a sworn affidavit to the California Dental Board, hoping to get Connelly’s license revoked. This bold claim added another layer of complexity to the already tumultuous life of the prolific musician.
Meanwhile, Kanye and his new wife, Bianca Censori, have recently relocated to Tokyo to embark on what insiders have described as a “fresh chapter” of their lives. Ye is said to be “living in a hotel” and fully dedicated to working on his new album, Bully. According to journalist Touré, who shared the information on TikTok earlier this month, Kanye is handling the entire production process on his own, without the involvement of any external producers. Although no official release date for Bully has been announced, Kanye has been keeping busy musically, having already released two collaborative albums with Ty Dolla $ign earlier this year—Vultures 1 and Vultures 2—in February and August, respectively.
As Ye focuses on his creative pursuits, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian has been managing their family life. A source recently told People that Kim has effectively become a “single mom,” as Kanye is “not around” to co-parent their four children—Saint (8), Psalm (5), Chicago (6), and North (11). Although Kim has help, the source added that she still finds it challenging to juggle her work and the demands of motherhood. Kim’s life revolves around her children’s schedules, with her career taking a backseat when they are not in school. She has also paused her dating life to focus entirely on her family and work commitments.
As part of their custody arrangement, Kanye pays Kim $200,000 per month in child support. However, his personal life has been marred by ongoing legal issues, including a sexual assault lawsuit filed by his former assistant, Lauren Piscotta. This lawsuit, initially filed in 2021, was recently updated with new details, further complicating Kanye’s already controversial public and legal image.
