Whitney Houston's cousin criticises Kanye West for using photo of drug-covered bathroom on album cover

West paid $85,000 so that Pusha T could use the image

(Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3)

Whitney Houston’s cousin has criticised Kanye West for using a photo of the iconic singer’s drug-cover bathroom for an album cover.

The controversial rapper paid a reported $85,000 so that Pusha T could use the image on his latest album, Daytona, which West produced.

Damon Elliot, Houston’s cousin, discovered that the photo had been purchased during a phone call with his daughter, telling People that the news made him feel “sick”.

“[She was] frantic,” Elliot told the publication. “She sent me this picture from the album cover and I immediately got sick to my stomach because it took me right back to six years ago.

“I’ve watched the train wreck happening, but I didn’t think he’d go this far in invading someone’s family privacy.

“To do something for a publicity stunt to sell records, it’s absolutely disgusting. It hurt my family and my daughter. It’s petty. It’s tacky.”

Elliot added that he once worked with West on a Keyshia Cole song and questioned why the rapper would use the photograph without speaking with him

“What were you thinking? Did you think this through? And if you did, why did you do this?” Elliot continued. “Because you’re hurting people. It knocked the wind out of me last night. When someone passes, you try to mourn and move on and remember the good times.

“Why are you going to pay $85,000 to bring something to the forefront?”

Speaking on The Angie Martinez Show following West’s announcement that the image would be the album cover on Twitter, Pusha T said the decision was last minute.

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The Daytona rapper recalled being unsure at first, but when West offered to pay the large fee, he agreed.

The album itslef has been well received by critics, who have praised West’s production on the seven-track record.