Posted by Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain cover art has caused quite a stir with a polarizing public reception to the depiction of an original painting by famed artist Nina Chanel Abney.
Roc Nation’s marketing department has been working overtime promoting Expensive Pain with billboards plastered across major cities, but not everyone is happy with the artwork boasting nudity being so visible to everyone.
Political commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins took to Twitter questioning whether the cover art should be advertised on things such as buses which will then expose young children to the nudity.
Killer Mike quickly hopped to Meek’s defense, citing that it’s just art and society is typically okay with having naked statues in museums.
“It’s art,” the Run The Jewels rapper said. “Absolutely. We as a society see naked humans in art in museums. We should also be cultured enough as adults & parents to have a convo about nudity & art with our children. I say this as a parent, rapper & a High Museum of ART Board member. Love & Respect Doc.”
It's art. Absolutely. We as a society see naked humans in art in museums. We should also be cultured enough as adults & parents to have a convo about nudity & art with our children. I say this as a parent, rapper & a High Museum of ART Board member. Love & Respect Doc. https://t.co/HOmYAC1q6g
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) October 13, 2021
Watkins then used Meek’s artwork and Lizzo’s see-through outfit to Cardi B’s birthday as examples of “black women being seen as ignorant sex objects in history.”
Not sure if anybody has seen these old school minstrel show images, but I hope that #MeekMill and #Lizzo will take a look. #Blackwomen have always been seen as ignorant sex objects. pic.twitter.com/ngh16s71tT
— Dr Boyce Watkins (@drboycewatkins1) October 14, 2021
The debate continued earlier this week when a man went viral in a video for becoming so enraged at the sight of Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain cover art gracing a public bus in Hollywood.
Meek Mill’s Raunchy ‘Expensive Pain’ Bus Ad Enrages Anti-Vaxxer: ‘This Is Satanic Bullshit’
“Look at this bus that goes by my neighborhood,” he ranted. “What the fuck is this?!” the man (who is white) yelled into his camera while pointing at the naked Black woman bending over and exposing her private parts in Meek’s artwork. “Is this what you want, Black women? Is this how you want to be respected?”
“I’m from Philly, I should actually should support Meek Mill, [but] this is fucking disgusting bullshit,” he continued in his angry rant. “This is Satanic bullshit … Black and white checkerboard — what is that? It’s Masonic flooring. Duh!”
Meek’s Expensive Pain ended up selling 93,000 total album-equivalent units in its first week and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 earlier in October.
Revisit the album below.