The artist who created the cover for Kanye West's recent album 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' has claimed he was asked to create a cover that would be banned.

The artwork, designed by visual artist George Condo, depicted a naked West straddled on a couch with a phoenix.

When it debuted in October, the rapper claimed it had been banned by a number of US stores. The official release eventually featured a blurred image.

In an interview with the New Yorker, Condo said that when he first met West to discuss the cover at his New York studio he said he was seeking "something that will be banned”.

West later joked in a post on Twitter that he was "deeply sorry if I haven't offended everybody" with the artwork.

Condo was also responsible for the additional covers that accompanied that album.

(by Jason Gregory)