Drake Sued for Copying Balenciaga Photographer’s Image in ‘What Did I Miss?’ Video

Toronto-born rapper Drake has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit that claims his “What Did I Miss?” music video copied a photograph by Italian artist Gabriele Galimberti, the same photographer behind Balenciaga’s infamous 2022 ad campaign.

Filed Wednesday (Nov. 12) in a U.S. federal court, the complaint accuses Drake, his label OVO Sound, and Universal Music Group (UMG) of using a visual setup directly lifted from Galimberti’s 2020 photo series The Ameriguns. Both the photograph and the music video scene depict men standing outside homes surrounded by guns neatly arranged around swimming pools.

Connecting Drake’s Feud With Kendrick Lamar to Balenciaga Scandal

According to Gabriele Galimberti’s legal team, the use of the image was not coincidental. The lawsuit claims that Drake was deliberately drawing a link between his own feud with Kendrick Lamar and Galimberti’s association with Balenciaga — a fashion campaign that sparked global outrage for featuring children and sexually suggestive props.

In Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss track “Not Like Us,” the rapper famously branded Drake a “certified pedophile.” The lawsuit argues that Drake’s use of Galimberti’s image was meant to “imply that he, like the photographer, would eventually be vindicated of false allegations.” “Plaintiff was ultimately publicly vindicated in a defamation lawsuit abroad related to the false accusations arising from the Balenciaga advertisement,” Galimberti’s attorney wrote. “Given Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics calling defendant Graham a pedophile, defendant Graham sought to imply that he, like plaintiff, would be publicly exonerated.”

Gabriele Galimberti photographer behind Balenciaga’s controversial 2022 ad campaign

Drake’s Defamation Case Dismissed—but Legal Drama Continues

Drake’s defamation lawsuit against UMG, filed after Kendrick Lamar’s diss, was dismissed last month. A federal judge ruled that rap lyrics are hyperbolic and not statements of fact — a decision Drake is now appealing.

Now, the rapper faces a new legal front. Gabriele Galimberti’s lawsuit accuses Drake of committing “an egregious violation of federal law” and damaging the photographer’s artistic reputation and livelihood.

“His work hangs in galleries and museums,” the complaint reads. “By forcing an unauthorized association with the infringing video, Drake has damaged his integrity as a photographer and his standing within the art world.”

UMG, Republic Records, and OVO Sound are all named as co-defendants in the suit. Representatives for both Drake and UMG have not commented on the allegations.

A Feud That Won’t Fade

The “What Did I Miss?” video debuted in July, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping both Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic Airplay charts. But its success now risks being overshadowed by this legal dispute — one that mixes art, scandal, and hip-hop rivalries.

The timing is notable: just months after the explosive Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar feud dominated headlines, the lawsuit has reignited discussions about how far artists can go when borrowing from real-life imagery to make a point.

With Drake appealing one case and defending another, the artist’s courtroom battles are now nearly as headline-grabbing as his chart records.