Is The 21 Savage & Drake Fake Vogue Cover Lawsuit Settled?!

Kimberly R. McClary

The 21 Savage & Drake “fake Vogue Cover” lawsuit has reached a settlement. Reportedly, the rappers have avoided paying the requested $4 million for the use of a false photo replicating the famed publication as a part of the rollout for their 2022 collab album, Her Loss.

According to FADER, lawyers for the two artists met with attorneys for the magazine’s parent company Condé Nast, out of court and were able to settle the company’s lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. As a part of the settlement, Condé Nast also received an injunction to prevent the commercial use of the magazine’s trademarks, including the name Vogue, in perpetuity.

The company’s attorney, Will Bowes, also stated that the payment from 21 Savage and Drake will “bolster our ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial.”

Ahead of the release of their chart-topping project, Her Loss, in November of 2022, the duo trolled fans and the media with a series of fake interview and performance clips, as well as a replica issue of Vogue, which they shared on social media.

Drake and 21 Savage have settled their lawsuit over fake Vogue cover 👀‼️ pic.twitter.com/SXqkJahY35

— RapTV (@Rap) February 16, 2023

A little over a week later Condé Nast filed a lawsuit against 21 Savage and Drake, claiming Vogue had not “endorsed” the Her Loss promo in any way.

TMZ’s sources reported Drake’s team was “surprised and confused” by the lawsuit, as other entities like Howard Stern and NPR have happily played along with the album promo run. However, Condé Nast claimed they repeatedly told reps for Drizzy and 21 Savage that they didn’t have its permission to produce and distribute the magazine.

Along with the lawsuit, Condé Nast filed a motion to prevent 21 Savage & Drake from continuing to use their doctored image in any way. According to Billboard, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff sided with Condé Nast during a hearing on November 9, with Rakoff ruling that the fake magazines were “deceiving the public” and “misleading consumers.”

Judge Rakoff issued a temporary restraining order for 21 and Drake to immediately stop distributing the fake magazines. According to the report, the judge’s injunction suggested Condé Nast would eventually win the lawsuit altogether.

In lighter news, 21 Savage participated in the 2023 Ruffles NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, which took place at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, February 17.