Cardi B Awarded $350K As Mixtape Cover Art Dispute Gets Settled
Cardi B. was awarded $350,000 after a federal judge remained unconvinced by a man's claim that he was left humiliated after the “Foreva” emcee allegedly misused his tattoo on the cover art for her mixtape, Gangsta B*tch Music Vol 1.
According to Law & Crime’s Meghann Cuniff, the decision comes nearly a year after the Bronx native, born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, was initially hit with the suit in 2017 by plaintiff Kevin Michael Brophy Jr.
Legal documents show Brophy voluntarily withdrew his motion for a new trial and waived his rights for any future appeal efforts under a new agreement filed in federal court. “The parties now have reached an agreement avoiding the necessity of Defendants’ motion for attorney’s fees and application to tax costs and Plaintiff’s New Trial Motion,” the documents stated.
Brophy argued, “It looks like I’m giving oral sex to somebody that’s not my wife, somebody that’s not my partner, and an image that I never signed off on, ever.”
The art cover of the project shows Cardi drinking in the backseat of a limousine with a male model knelt in front of her, as if he’s performing oral sex. However, Brophy’s suit was tossed out last October following a four-day trial after it was ruled that the “WAP” rapper’s mixtape cover did not violate Brophy’s privacy.
Cardi B. reportedly hired “one of the top music copyright lawyers in the country,” signaling that the $350,000 payment awarded by U.S. District Judge Cormac, is likely to be a drop in the bucket.
