When Lil Uzi Vert made a rare post on Instagram yesterday, uploading artwork related to his rumored Eternal Atake project, many fans were extremely excited for the prospect of an imminent Uzi drop. The image, showcasing imagery almost identical to symbols used by the Heaven's Gate cult, seemed to hint at the project releasing in the near future. Later in the day, Uzi shared a new version of the cover, picturing himself as an animated character with a much less suggestive reference to the organization while still keeping their keyhole logo in the photo. It turns out this may have been because of a possible lawsuit from the surviving members of the cult as Genius reached out to them for their reactions and, we'll let you know, they were not happy.
A representative for the remaining cult members spoke out, stating that Uzi is infringing on their copyright and they are seeking appropriate legal action. "He is using and adapting our copyrights and trademarks without our permission and the infringement will be taken up with our attorneys. This is not fair use or parody, it [is] a direct and clear infringement," said the rep. According to Complex, Heaven's Gate is considered the "first well-known American cult of the Internet era." Members believed they had to commit suicide to reach a spaceship, which would bring them to a new level of existence.
Reading up on Heaven's Gate, it's no surprise that Uzi would be influenced by them after he told an entire crowd that they're all going to hell with him. Is the Philadelphia rapper trying to be the next big cult leader?
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