The rapper who boasts about being “25 sittin’ on $25 mil” stiffed his stylist on a $40,000 bill, according to a new Manhattan civil lawsuit.
Chart-topping performer Drake, listed in court papers as Aubrey Graham, hired Michael Raphael of the Lower East Side last August to be his personal shopper and create a signature wardrobe.
Raphael, 30, who even moved to Canada to be at the Toronto-born singer’s side for photo and video shoots, was canned just months later in December, the suit says.
Drake’s reps had asked Raphael to finish outstanding projects, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court suit, but he never got paid for the work.
The stylist submitted receipts for clothing and accessories he’d bought for Drake and charged to his own debit card including $347.99 at Footlocker, $579.49 at J Crew and $900 in travel costs to deliver a chain and pendant to Drake for the American Music Awards.
Raphael owns the appointment-only boutique “Rest Store,” tucked away on the second floor of a Mulberry Street building where he hawks cable knit beanies for $98 and wooden bracelets for $678.
In February 2011 Drake visited Raphael’s store and the two “spoke at length” about pieces of clothing, jewelry and artwork created by the stylist. The rapper later hired Raphael as a consultant.
Raphael “incurred significant expenses in performance of the agreed-upon consulting services,” court papers say. In addition to the clothing, the stylist is on the hook for over $7,000 in hotel bills and airline tickets from when he accompanied Drake to LA for the filing of “F—ing Problems” in November 2012.
Drake dressed down at Sunday’s MTV Music Video Awards at in a black tank top and black pants at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.
Raphael wants compensation for the expenses plus an award for breach of contract.
Spokespeople for Drake did not immediately return messages for comment.