Rapper OsamaSon claims he is being sued by Iron Maiden after ripping off a Powerslave era piece of Iron Maiden art for the cover of the deluxe edition of his latest album.
As seen below in a screenshot of OsamaSon’s Instagram Story (which has since expired), news outlet Kurrco shared the news of the alleged lawsuit. “Iron Maiden is suing me so… ……cover is gone,” the rapper wrote, tagging the band’s handle.
The X post also shows the artwork for the rapper’s Flex Musix (FLXTRA) deluxe edition album, which was released in February, as well as the Iron Maiden World Slavery tour art in question.
The Similarities + Differences in the Pieces of Art
The original piece of Iron Maiden art, features a mummified version of mascot Eddie from the chest up, being struck by lightning as he chomps on a chain. It’s part of many images tied to the band’s 1984 classic Powerslave, drawn by Derek Riggs.
The version on Osamason’s record is a blatant ripoff, mostly recolored to reflect an darker grey Eddie, slightly warped with minor modifications made around the mouth. Rather than being set against a bright blue background with scattered lightning around the mascot, an off-center pink hue surrounds Eddie with darker colors around the top and left borders.
Loudwire has reached out to Iron Maiden’s representatives for comment.
OsamaSon, Flex Musix (FLXTRA) Artwork
OsamaSon, ‘Flex Musix (FLXTRA) album cover, a ripoff of an Iron Maiden ‘Powerslave’ era image
READ MORE: How Many Songs Each Member of Iron Maiden Has Written
About OsamaSon
OsamaSon is a young rapper (birth year is disputed as either 2003 or 2005) currently signed to Atlantic Records.
His first album, Osama Season, was self-released in July of 2023 and, in December of last year, he made his major label debut with Flex Musix.
Currently on his first headlining tour, OsamaSon has (at the time of publication) nearly 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners. His most popular track on the platform is “X & Sex,” with over seven million streams.
In the music video for the song, OsamaSon is seen wearing a T-shirt from Facelift Deformation, a brutal death metal band featuring members from Hong Kong and Taiwan. His own logo is also stylized with a visual aesthetic typical of the extreme metal subgenre.
OsamaSon, “X & Sex” Music Video
Iron Maiden on Tour
Iron Maiden’s The Future Past Tour will continue later this year with dates in Australia, New Zealand and Japan all booked in September. Then, the metal legends will begin their first North American leg of the tour in October with support from The Hu.
Iron Maiden’s Eddie – A Look at Over 40 Years of Metal’s Best Mascot
Iron Maiden’s undead mascot Eddie, as seen on single and album art throughout the band’s 40-plus year history.
Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita
