Kanye West threatens legal action against a Melbourne burger shop
An Ivanhoe burger shop has been threatened with legal action by Kanye West.
College Dropout Burgers, which opened in May 2021, named its burgers after songs by the rapper, used his album artwork as its logo, and had a mural of West painted inside the store.
The Upper Heidelberg Road restaurant is even named after West’s debut album.
College Dropout Burgers owner Mark Elkhouri received a cease and desist letter from the rapper’s lawyers earlier this month.
He says he’s disappointed by the rapper’s approach.
“The whole idea or the whole concept was to kind of celebrate Kanye West and show a different side of his music, and artwork and fashion line,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Elise Elliott, filling in for Ross and Russel.
“Anyone that is a fan of Kanye West and his music would kind of understand he actually does seek inspiration from other artists.
“So I was kind of like ‘Ok, well I don’t sing, I don’t rap, what I do is kind of like another form of art, and I believe it’s modern-day art, which is food’.”
College Dropout Burgers will retain its name, but has painted over the mural depicting West, renamed its burgers and is using a temporary new logo.
Press PLAY below to hear how the burger shop owner feels about the legal action
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Image (West): Ronald Martinez/Getty Images