The Gap Sends Cease & Desist To Guapdad 4000 Over Merch

Did the Californian steal the company’s IP?

It looks like Guap (aka Guapdad 4000) is on the wrong side of the Gap Inc. corporation. According to the rapper, the clothing retailer wants him to cease and desist.

Gap reportedly believes Guapdad 4000’s latest Guap Arch merchandise too closely resembles the company’s trademarked logo. On June 29, Guap posted a 33-second spot promoting his new tee-shirts, hoodies, and hats.

The Guap Arch video is clearly a parody of the famous LL Cool J ads for Gap from the 1990s. Guapdad’s version of the commercial currently sits as the pinned tweet on his Twitter account with over 35,000 views on the platform.

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Apparently, Guap caught the attention of lawyers working for Gap Inc. Yesterday, the 29-year-old Dior Deposits album creator shared what appeared to be a cautionary legal letter from the billion-dollar public company.

Guap wrote on Instagram:

HOW SIMILAR IS TOO SIMILAR? PRAY FOR ME✅ GOING LIVE LATER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. UNTIL THEN COP AS MUCH “ILLEGAL” MERCH WHILE IT’S STILL AVAILABLE on GUAPDAD4000.com.

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Gap Inc. does have a current Hip Hop connection. In 2020, legendary rapper/producer Kanye “Ye” West announced a multi-year partnership with Gap. West’s Yeezy Gap deal includes apparel for men, women, and children.

As far as Guapdad 4000, the Oakland representative born Akeem Hayes officially shortened his stage name to Guap earlier this year. He released the “Black Iverson” single in April. The music video for “Pose” featuring Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y arrived last month.

Previously, Guap teamed up with the Dreamville Records roster for contributions to the chart-topping Revenge of the Dreamers III compilation. Guapdad’s catalog also consists of collaborations with Buddy, Too $hort, and Deante’ Hitchcock.