Drake And 21 Savage Slammed With $4M Lawsuit Over Use Of Fake Vogue Cover For Album Promo

Rapper Drake and 21 Savage have found themselves facing legal troubles following the release of their new joint album "Her Loss." The album, which dropped earlier this month, is the first collaborative album between the rap stars following years of collaborating on singles.

Both artists were sued by Vogue's Publisher Condé Nast, who claimed that the album's promotional campaign infringed on the magazine's trademark. They also said the duo's act caused "widespread confusion."

The company is now seeking four million dollars in damages or a huge chunk from the album sales.

Read below for more details.

On Monday, Condé Nast, also known as Advance Magazine Publishers Inc and the publishers for Vogue magazine, filed a suit in a Manhattan federal court against Drake and 21 Savage just a few days after the pair released their collaboration album "Her Loss."

The company claimed in its suit that the rappers exploited the brand name to advertise their most recent project without authorization.

Per The Guardian, Condé Nast's allegations referenced the acclaimed duo's promotional campaign for the album, which entailed them fabricating fake copies of Vogue with themselves on the cover.

The magazine's issues, which appeared legitimate, were distributed on the streets of cities like Miami and New York and became popular on social media. Drake also posted images of the front page on his social media platforms.

The company also claimed that the act gave the impression that Drake and 22 Savage would feature on the upcoming cover of Vogue.

"All of this is false. And none of it has been authorized by Conde Nast," the suit read.

Per Page Six, Condé Nast had earlier sent a cease and desist to the "Certified Lover Boy" hitmaker and the "Bank Account" crooner, informing them to end the "unauthorized use of the Vogue trademark [and] ceasing any distribution" for the fake magazines They also requested that the pair put out a public statement clarifying that those magazines were false to end the "widespread confusion" it has caused since it made headlines.

Elsewhere in the suit, it was noted that the faux publication also used the image of Vogue's longtime editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, adding that the veteran journalist did not grant Drake and 21 Savage.

"Anna Wintour did not authorize the use of her image to promote Defendants' Album," the court documents claimed.

Alongside making fake publications of Vogue, the promotional campaign for "Her Loss" also included a Howard Stern interview, an NPR "Tiny Desk" appearance, and an "SNL" performance, all of which were faked using skilled edition and impressive set designs.

In the meantime, the defendants have yet to issue any public response to the suit filed against them, suggesting they fully concentrate on increasing the buzz around their album. It's also unclear when there will be a court hearing on the case.

According to The Guardian, Condé Nast is requesting at least $4 million in damages from the defendants. If the first alternative is not feasible, they have also demanded a sizable portion of the proceeds from their record and counterfeit magazine sales, in addition to punitive damages.

While the entire lawsuit has made much of a fuzz, there is still a possibility that the case could be settled out of court before the first hearing. If this does not happen, there is no telling which way the court's decision might swing.

Released on November 4, "Her Loss" consist of 16 tracks, including "Rich Flex," "Major Distribution," "Privileged Rappers," "Spin Bout U," "Hours in Silence," "Treacherous Twins'" and the controversial "Circo Loco," which allegedly has diss lyrics against rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

Since its release, the album has garnered mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. "Her Loss" marks Drake's first collaboration album with 21 Savage despite the rappers having teamed up on songs together. They paired up to release the hit song "Jimmy Cooks" from Drake's 2022 album "Honestly, Nevermind,"

The duo also collaborated on the "Knife Talk" track from Drake's "Certified Lover Boy" album, which charted at No 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its debut.