American rapper Lil Uzi Vert directly addressed the accusation that he plagiarized the work of Korean artist and illustrator Tae Tae, who had called out the American artist on Instagram saying: "I am very upset that I have to write such an article. I saw lil uzi vert's latest album cover art and it was very similar to my painting. My picture was posted on my blog six years ago, and it is possible to use it for profile pictures or non-commercial purposes, but it is not allowed to use anything else. Now I'm very embarrassed and don't want to let this go."
Lil Uzi Vert released a new single in January titled 'That Way'. The single's cover art is being accused of plagiarizing Tae Tae's work titled 'Heartshake' in 2014. The only change between the two are the color shadings and the characters.
Tae Tae then shared a screenshot of a conversation that he had with the "That Way" cover designer that reads as follows. He also stated that he and his brother are looking for a lawyer, and wishes that the conclusion will help protect other artists from having their work stolen from in the future.
The rapper has since personally responded, acknowledging his plagiarism, stating:
What do you think of this situation?
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How are you not a thief when you straight copied an artwork and did nothing until the original artist called you out on it. That graphic designer bear responsibility too. Your client came to you too plagiarize, instead of working with the original artist to do it properly, you just did it and then just say "well someone told me to"?! Sue away, even though the outcome is likely monetary settlement anyways, they need to understand this isn't right.
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