Mos Def

Background information
Birth name	Dante Terrell Smith
Born	December 11, 1973
Born place	Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Origin	Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City
Genre(s)	Hip-hop
Years active	1994—present
Label(s)	Geffen Records Rawkus Records Priority Records Downtown Records GOOD Music
Associated acts	Kanye West The Roots Gorillaz Soulquarians Blakroc Talib Kweli Curren$y Jay Electronica Black Star Native Tongues Posse Dave Chappelle Immortal Technique

Music World → Lyrics → M → Mos Def → News

Vampire Weekend 'Contra' Cover Star Has 'No Idea' How Photo Appeared On Album

July 22, 2010

Ann Kirsten Kennis has “no idea” how she came to be the cover star of Vampire Weekend's second album 'Contra', her lawyer has said.

The former model filed a lawsuit against the band earlier this month, claiming that she never authorised them to use the image.

Her lawyer Alan Neigher told EW his client discovered she had been used on the cover when her daughter told her.

“Her daughter came home one day and said, ‘Hi, Mom, see your picture?’” Neigher said.

The photograph is credited to photographer Tod Brody, but Kennis claims the polaroid was taken by her mother.

“She has no idea how that photograph got into the photographer’s hands,” he lawyer added.

But Brody has maintained that he took the picture when Kennis posed for him in 1983.

In a statement, Vampire Weekend said: “As is standard practice, Vampire Weekend and XL Recordings licensed the rights to use the photo on the cover of Contra pursuant to a license agreement that contains representations and warranties authorizing this use of the photo.

“Now that a lawsuit has been filed, we look forward to having the matter resolved in court.”

'Contra' debuted at number three on the UK album chart in January.

(by Jason Gregory)

Vampire Weekend 'Contra' Cover Star Has 'No Idea' How Photo Appeared On Album

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