Drake, 21 Savage Sued for Promotions Using Fake Magazine Cover

Rappers Drake and 21 Savage are being sued by Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue magazine, for using a fake magazine cover with the Vogue name to promote their newest album, Her Loss.

The rappers' promotional campaign, according to Reuters, consisted of a fake issue of Vogue with the rappers on the cover that was distributed in some major cities, as well as promotional posters that copied Vogue's style. It is also reported that the campaign used the Vogue trademark, and both rappers made false claims on social media that they would be on the next cover of Vogue.

According to a complaint filed on Monday night in a New York District Court, Condé Nast stated, "All of this is false. And none of it has been authorized by Condé Nast."

It added that the false magazine caused "unmistakable" confusion among the public, as several media sources falsely reported as well that the rappers were on the next cover of the magazine.

The rappers gave a shoutout to Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, as well, writing in the Instagram caption, "Me and my brother on newsstands tomorrow!! Thanks @voguemagazine and Anna Wintour for the love and support on this historic moment."

Condé Nast is reportedly seeking $4 million in damages.

Drake, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, and 21 Savage, whose name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, released their joint album on November 4, with 16 tracks featuring themselves and one track with Travis Scott.

The album and the promotional material were praised by many before the lawsuit was filed, including radio show host Howard Stern, who shared that he was impressed with the artists after they shared a clip on Instagram of themselves with Stern on his show, which was also not real.

"He [Drake] did this kinda interesting thing: instead of doing a press tour, he made up a fake press tour and released it. ... And then he even put out a clip of me interviewing him," Stern, 68, told his listeners on the air. "He edited himself in to look like he's in our studio, and he's answering questions from me using clips from a different interview. ... Drake did such a good job that the news outlets are reporting on it as if it's real."

The video showed Drake and 21 Savage sitting on a couch on the set of what appears to be Stern's show, with the caption, "Absolutely NO filter with the incomparable @sternshow thanks for having us."

They also teased a fake Tiny Desk concert with NPR prior to the album's release, where they posted a video appearing in an office setting nearly identical to the iconic Tiny Desk backdrop, both acting as if they're about to unveil a handful of unreleased album cuts.

Newsweek reached out to Condé Nast and representatives for Drake and 21 Savage for additional comment.