Drake and 21 Savage’s legal troubles with Vogue publisher Conde Nast have now come to an end, with the lawsuit reportedly being settled by both parties.
Conde Nast filed a lawsuit against Drake and 21 Savage in November, after the rappers created elaborate yet fake Vogue mock-ups, which were handed out by street teams in several cities.
The publishers claimed Drake, 36 (born Aubrey Drake Graham) and Savage, 30 (born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) did not get Vogue nor Conde Nast’s permission for the mock-ups.
They were seeking $4 million in damages, claiming many had already gotten a hold of the fake mags, and Drake even gave Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour a social media shout-out, though the lawsuit alleges they, ‘have not endorsed’ the album in anyway, and asked the rappers several times to take down the posters and mockups.
Now Semafor is reporting both sides have settled the case out of court, with the rappers agreeing to pay the publisher an undisclosed sum.
Legal: Drake and 21 Savage’s legal troubles with Vogue publisher Conde Nast have now come to an end, with the lawsuit reportedly being settled by both parties
Lawsuit: Conde Nast filed a lawsuit against Drake and 21 Savage in November, after the rappers created elaborate yet fake Vogue mock-ups, which were handed out by street teams in several cities
No permission: The publishers claimed Drake, 36 (born Aubrey Drake Graham) and Savage, 30 (above, born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) did not get Vogue nor Conde Nast’s permission for the mock-ups
An internal memo from Conde Nast general counsel Will Bowles revealed the company received, ‘a permanent injunction barring further commercial uses of Vogue trademarks.’
They also received a monetary settlement from the rappers, and while the amount was not revealed, Bowles said the funds will, ‘bolster our ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial.’
‘As a creative company, we of course understand our brands may from time to time be referenced in other creative works,’ Bowes added.
‘In this instance, however, it was clear to us that Drake and 21 Savage leveraged Vogue’s reputation for their own commercial purposes and, in the process, confused audiences who trust Vogue as the authoritative voice on fashion and culture,’ he added.
The lawsuit claimed that the rappers put out posters promoting this fake magazine collaboration in many cities.
The lawsuit also alleged that both Drake and Savage’s teams sent out email blasts, ‘celebrating Drake’s Vogue cover.’
Inside the elaborately-detailed magazine there was a photo of Wintour smiling while standing behind him, though that photo was doctored and not authentic.
Along with the $4 million in damages, Conde Nast wanted a judge to shut down the use of the mockups immediately.
Injunction: An internal memo from Conde Nast general counsel Will Bowles revealed the company received, ‘a permanent injunction barring further commercial uses of Vogue trademarks’
Settlement: They also received a monetary settlement from the rappers, and while the amount was not revealed, Bowles said the funds will, ‘bolster our ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial’
Clear: ‘In this instance, however, it was clear to us that Drake and 21 Savage leveraged Vogue’s reputation for their own commercial purposes and, in the process, confused audiences who trust Vogue as the authoritative voice on fashion and culture,’ he added
Fake: Inside the elaborately-detailed magazine there was a photo of Wintour smiling while standing behind him, though that photo was doctored and not authentic
When the lawsuit was filed, Drake’s team was reportedly ‘confused’ since others like Howard Stern and NPR’s TinyDesk played along with the promo.
Still, some media outlets even ran stories on Drake and 21 Savage being on the cover of Vogue, which was certainly not true.
Her Loss was released on November 4 through OVO Sound and Republic Records, which features a guest appearance by Travis Scott.
While the record wasn’t a huge hit with critics, it did perform well commercially, debuting atop both the US Billboard 200 and Canadian Albums charts.
The album was also named as Complex’s eighth best album of 2022 and 66th on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of 2022.
Drake and 21 Savage had previously collaborated on 2016’s Sneakin’, 2017’s Issa, 2020’s Mr. Right Now and 2021’s Knife Talk.
Last month, Drake teased a possible tour with 21 Savage, during a performance at New York City’s Apollo Theater last month.
‘I was telling them earlier but, if you guys enjoy that experience, feel free to come see me and my brother this summer,’ he said during the performance.
Confused: When the lawsuit was filed, Drake’s team was reportedly ‘confused’ since others like Howard Stern and NPR’s TinyDesk played along with the promo
Perform: While the record wasn’t a huge hit with critics, it did perform well commercially, debuting atop both the US Billboard 200 and Canadian Albums charts
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk