I’m not quite sure which artist or album release set the wheels in motion on this–maybe it was the blogosphere that set the stage and created the initial demand–but whatever the case, unveiling (or in some cases, leaking) album cover art online has become a standard routine for many artists in the months leading up to their album’s official release. It’s expected. And much like leaking an album to the web, minus the negative consequences involved, the intentions here are pretty much the same: to generate a buzz and to pique the curiosity of fans. Enter this special edition cover/packaging for Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreaks:

The most interesting thing about it, to me, isn’t the artwork itself, but the fact that it’s designed by KAWS–the renowned graff artist and designer. This is a guy whose art sells out just as fast as it goes up on his website. And whose toys and clothing are hugely popular amongst the HypeBeast-reading, Complex-subscribing “hypester” crowd–which just so happens to make up a hefty portion of Kanye’s base. So of course I’m curious to see if his involvement here will have a profound impact on sales. Are folks going to buy the album twice? Once when it’s first released, and again when the KAWS packaging goes on sale December 16th? It should be interesting to see.

Nonetheless, Kanye deserves tremendous props for never neglecting or ignoring the importance of the visuals that are attached to his albums.