VLONE Accused Of Plagiarizing Pop Smoke Merch From April Skateboards

BYKeenan Higgins11.7K Views
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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The Estate of Tupac Shakur
VLONE A$AP Bari Plagiarism Pop Smoke Merch April Skateboards
A$AP Bari and his VLONE imprint have been accused of plagiarizing a design from April Skateboards to use as official merch for Pop Smoke's posthumous new album "Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon."

You'd think people would've learned from Virgil Abloh's failed Pop Smoke album cover that you've got to come correct when it comes to honoring "The Woo." Unfortunately, it doesn't look like A$AP Bari got the memo following claims that he plagiarized a design from April Skateboards to use for an official Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon merch collab with VLONE.

Image: Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Graphic artist Patrick Savile called out VLONE via his IG Stories, posting images of the Pop Smoke merch alongside a chrome flower motif he designed for April Skateboards with a caption that read, "@vlone gone and pinched this graphic I did for @aprilskateboards." To make matters worse, Savile also added "There's no way they have a high rez [sic] version of this so his is a 72dpi png dropped on the meme font." The real nail in the coffin though was the proof he posted that the word "April" is actually embedded into one for the rosebuds, writing "Also the graphic has April's name on it." It's hard to tell by zooming in whether or not VLONE removed the April tag, but fans who ordered will have to wait to see as all merch is scheduled to ship out within 8 to 9 weeks. Let us know when you get it!

Peep the screengrabs from Patrick Savile's Instagram Story below, and let us know if you think Bari has some 'splaining to do:

Screenshot via @patricksavile IG Story
Screenshot via @patricksavile IG Story
Screenshot via @patricksavile IG Story

Screenshot via @patricksavile IG Story
Screenshot via @patricksavile IG Story

Screenshot via @patricksavile IG Story

About The Author
<b>Staff Writer</b> <!--BR--> NYC-based photojournalist, self-proclaimed sneakerhead, and fiend for legit streetwear — #nohypebeast though! — that works daily to seamlessly link style, art, urban culture and music on a common platform. Likes: Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Kendrick Lamar/TDE, Curren$y and anything '90s/early 2000s across all genres. Dislikes: Chr*s Br**n, K*nye W*st...yeah, just those two.
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