Kanye West Was Originally Set for Rolling Stone Bomber Cover

Rolling Stone magazine sparked controversy with its current issue featuring Boston bomber Dzhokhar "Jahar" Tsarnaev on the cover, which debuted last week. Now the Hollywood Reporter reveals that the cover was intended for Kanye West.

Apparently, Ye pulled out of the slot because he didn't want to talk about his newborn daughter North West -- his girlfriend Kim Kardashian gave birth to the baby on June 15.

Editors at the magazine also had a backup plan to place rocker Bruce Springsteen on the cover in the event that the rapper couldn't (or wouldn't) do it.

The bomber story was reportedly already written and intended to run, but it was editor and publisher Jann Wenner who chose the bomber cover image.

There has been criticism aimed at Rolling Stone for placing Tsarnaev's image on the cover, with some saying the publication is sensationalizing a tragedy. A statement was issued regarding the cover:

“Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens.”