With his next album on the way, Kanye West sightings have increased in recent months. Fresh off of a performance at the [article id="1642467"]2010 BET Awards, Yeezy[/article] braved legions of screaming kids and befuddled tourists in New York City's Times Square to view the King Tut exhibition at the Discovery Times Square Exposition.

"He said it was something he really wanted to see," exhibition rep Alison Buchbinder told MTV News about West's visit.

'Ye was snapped checking out artifacts like the gilded coffins of Egyptian pharaohs. Buchbinder said West dropped by on June 29, which would have been two days after the Chicago MC spit his latest single "Power" atop a mountain at the BET Awards. West showed up to the museum rocking a mammoth gold chain -- the same bling he sported during his awards show performance -- that features a sculptural representation of the Egyptian god Horus.

But it appears 'Ye's interest in the pharaohs exhibition might have something to do with his upcoming work. A day before his King Tut visit, the star posted several pictures of his Horus chain and pyramid ring on his KanyeWest.com website. A caption accompanying the images reads: "Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Horus served many functions in the Egyptian pantheon, most notably being the god of the Sky, god of War and god of Protection."

And West has been toying with other images of royalty in his recent work. The illustrated cover art for West's single "Power" features the severed head of a monarch with a gilded crown impaled by a sword.

Have you checked out the King Tut exhibit? Can you see why Kanye might be inspired by it? Share your thoughts in the comments!