Late last year, a model accused rapper Cardi B of using his image as part of the artwork for her debut mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1., also filing a lawsuit to the tune of five million in damages. She hasn't said much about the situation or suit before, but in documents obtained by The Blast, Cardi B and her team are certain the man suing her, Kevin Brophy, is trying to extort her.
"Whatever piece of Cardi B’s income he can gouge out, and whatever free ride on her famous coattails he can gain, through extortionate means of this unfounded, preposterous action," the documents say. Her team also states that since Brophy is never named or identified in the album's artwork, there isn't any harm being done.
While the back tattoos tattoos do look strikingly similar, the design itself may have been digitally lifted and placed on the model who actually is in the photo. This makes a lot of sense considering Cardi's legal team called the photo "a classic example of transformative work created in the exercise of the First Amendment rights of the photographer."
It's also possible a different person has the same ink themselves, especially since one huge difference, Cardi notes, is that the model on her artwork doesn't have the same "Born to Lose" neck tattoo as Brophy. TMZ reported that Cardi also clarified the man on the cover is a "young, black man," while the Brophy is white. At the time the album dropped, she posted other images from the same shoot showing a model that is definitely not Brophy.
The rapper wants the case against her dropped as soon as possible.
