Faisal Salisu DambattaDrake finds himself embroiled in yet another legal matter, this time involving an Italian photographer. According to an exclusive report by Grouchy Greg Watkins of AllHipHop, the Canadian music icon is facing a federal copyright lawsuit filed by Gabriele Galimberti, a renowned contributor to National Geographic and a recipient of the World Press Photo award.
Galimberti is suing Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, along with OVO Sound, Republic Records, Universal Music Group, and several unnamed defendants. He specifically accuses the rapper of “direct” infringement concerning an image featured in the music video for “What Did I Miss?”.
The photographer highlights scenes that showcase a meticulous arrangement of firearms, beginning around the 14-second mark of the video. Galimberti asserts that Drake has egregiously copied his “Ameriguns” portrait, right down to the intricate details and its underlying symbolism.
In his legal filing, he mentions that individuals on social media began tagging him in connection with Drake’s video before he was even aware of it. Consequently, Galimberti’s legal team created a side-by-side comparison of one of his similar “Amerigun” photographs alongside Drake’s image from the video, which features guns laid out by a pool.
As a result, Galimberti contends that this situation suggests a collaboration between them, despite the absence of any formal agreement.
Drake “What Did I Miss?” Lawsuit
Furthermore, he asserts that Drake intentionally released “What Did I Miss?” around July 4 to enhance the connection with the themes.
Lastly, and intriguingly, Galimberti posits that Drake aimed to link himself to the unfounded pedophilia allegations that have also affected him. According to the photographer, this originated from a Balenciaga advertisement. However, in contrast to the MC, he successfully won his defamation case; nonetheless, the photographs taken for the luxury brand remained associated with that controversy.
“Considering Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics that accuse Defendant Graham of being a pedophile and the now-dismissed defamation lawsuit against him, it is believed that Defendant Graham intended to suggest that he, similar to Plaintiff, would ultimately be publicly vindicated.” This statement is attributed to Galimberti’s attorney, Heather L. Blaise.
He is pursuing damages, profits, and a court order to prevent any further distribution of the video. It is noteworthy that Galimberti has been working on this “Ameriguns” collection for several years now.
