Tyga Defends Explicit New 'Kyoto' Album Cover

Tyga's got a message for haters of his new album cover -- check your delicate sensibilities and enjoy it for what it is ... art.

We got the "Rack City" rapper Tuesday leaving Prada on Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills and asked him about his highly controversial artwork for his new album, "Kyoto." We won't describe it ... here it is in all its glory:

Tyga laughed off the backlash his cover's received ... some calling it furry porn and even disrespectful to the Japanese flag. But the rapper counter-punched with some solid arguments ... for starters, the man behind the paintbrush is Japanese cult artist Hajime Sorayama.