Drake and 21 Savage Are Being Sued for Their Fake Vogue Magazine Covers

Just prior to the release of their collaborative album Her Loss last week, Drake and 21 Savage launched a promo campaign with a range of fake media tie-ins on social media. Those included an Al TV-style mock interview with Howard Stern, a phoney NPR Tiny Desk Concert and more.

They also shared an image on Instagram that displayed a fake Vogue magazine cover featuring the pair. In the caption of the since-deleted post, dated 30th October, Drake wrote that the issue would be “on newsstands tomorrow” and thanked Vogue editor Anna Wintour for “the love and support on this historic moment.” Now, Vogue publishers Condé Nast are suing the rappers, alleging the duo’s actions were part of a “deceptive campaign” that was unauthorised by the company.

See Drake and 21 Savage’s Fake Vogue Magazine Cover Below

As Rolling Stone reports, in addition to sharing the fake magazine cover online, it’s alleged that Drake and 21 also professionally reprinted full, authentic issues of Vogue, replacing the covers and writing the name of the album inside the magazines’ pages. They were reportedly handed out in several North American cities, leading some fans to believe they were genuine.

According to Condé Nast, the “confusion among the public” caused by the stunt is “unmistakeable.” As outlined in the lawsuit, some news publications were fooled by the rappers’ campaign, reporting on the fake magazine cover as if it was real. Rap culture website HotNewHipHop published an article shortly after the pair’s Instagram post, writing that Drake and 21 Savage were going to “grace the cover of the latest issue of Vogue.”

In the filing, it’s emphasised that Vogue and Wintour “have had no involvement in Her Loss or its promotion, and have not endorsed it in any way.” Condé Nast, the complaint continues, did not “authorize, much less support, the creation and widespread dissemination of a counterfeit issue of Vogue, or a counterfeit version of perhaps one of the most carefully curated covers in all of the publication business.”

According to the suit, prior to the album’s release, Condé Nast asked Drake and 21 Savage to take “remedial measures to curtail further public confusion,” but those were requests were denied. The company is accusing the rappers of trademark infringement, brand dilution and false advertising, among other claims, and are seeking a minimum of $4 million in damages. Drake and 21 Savage are yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.

Further Reading

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