Owl symbolism has been around for centuries, and in the entertainment industry, the bird has made fleeting appearances in music videos; is featured in clothing designs; has been tattooed on celebrity bodies; and is used as a theme for some jewelry pieces. On one hand, the bird has served as a symbol of wisdom, but on the other hand, it also has a history that includes associations with secret societies (like the Bohemian Grove), the Illuminati, and the occult (such as serving as a familiar of witches). For one primetime musician, this Illuminati-related symbolism has gotten him in a bit of hot water.
Drake has embraced owl symbolism for a long time now – his affinity for the feathered creature is nothing new. In addition to wearing a gold pendent in the shape of an owl around his neck, he and others have also incorporated the bird into visual elements related to his music career. Note the two covers for mixtapes featuring Drake’s music – one or more owls appear on the cover art.
Clothing designers have jumped on the bandwagon of Drake’s owl symbolism, and have created shirts (shown below) that feature an owl, and incorporate some of the song titles and lyrics of the rapper’s songs, including ‘October’s Very Own, ‘Ovo,’ and ‘Started from the Bottom…” Drake has also worn clothing that highlights the owl, such as an appearance on the BET Music Awards – a televised event that would expose (or ‘introduce’) thousands upon thousands of viewers to the owl symbolism – making it increasingly more accepted.
If you’ve ever seen a recent Drake video, then you probably have spotted the owl pendent that he wears around his neck…it’s been featured In ‘Started from the Bottom’ and ‘Worst Behavior.’ This pendent is the handiwork of jewelry designer Michael Raphael, and it cost $50,000 to make. Raphael is currently suing the R&B artist for the use of this owl that he claims the musician replicated without his consent.
The lawsuit claims that Drake “illegally made knockoffs” of the owl to give to his friends. The company, Baden Baden Inc. (which is owned by Raphael) is at the center of the lawsuit. Reports state that the rapper hired the company to create a custom platinum owl pendent dotted with diamonds, and paid the sum of $49,204 for their effort.
Less than six months later, the company claims that gold duplicates of the pendent started to make rounds on the Instagram account of Drake. The lawsuit claims that Drake took the original design, copied it, and then passed out ‘knockoffs’ to his friends. Baden Baden Inc. is suing for copyright infringement, and is demanding an unspecified sum in damages. They are also asking the court to force Drake to fork over the owl pendent copies.
What will come of this lawsuit?
Only time will tell…what isn’t an unknown is the fact that Drake heavily embraces owl symbolism, which may or may not have a hidden agenda to it, but he’s also been pictured wearing what has been identified as being a symbol of the Freemasons around his neck as well.
