On Tuesday, January 14, Drake withdrew his legal petition against Universal Music Group (UMG), his music label, but on the following day, he sued the same company for defamation and harassment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He asserts that UMG spread the “false and malicious narrative” through Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” that Drake is a pedophile, according to the lawsuit.
Claims of an “Approved” Campaign
Drake claims that UMG “chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.” He also says that UMG knew that Lamar’s lyrics and the song’s music video imagery were false and dangerous.
“UMG saw an opportunity, seized it, and continued to fan the flames,” the documents say.
The suit also claims that UMG “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track.” The document continues in its assertion that UMG “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response.”
“Not Like Us” Success Continues
One of the biggest hits of 2024, “Not Like Us” topped Luminate’s U.S. chart for on-demand audio and video streams for the year. Lamar’s song has also been nominated for five Grammy Awards. Additionally, Lamar is the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime show.
Drake’s lawsuit places the blame on UMG for the diss track even though Lamar’s lyrics are the reason for the suit. The lawsuit says UMG is guilty of defamation and harassment because it released, distributed, and promoted the song.
The suit reads: “This lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us.’ It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false but dangerous.”
Drake Accuses UMG of Devaluing His Music
Though Drake had previously accused UMG and Spotify of conspiring to falsely boost the song’s streaming numbers—allegations that both companies denied—the rapper has now backed down from those claims.
Drake and Lamar both own the recent master recordings of their music through their companies, but UMG distributes their music. The suit also says that due to Drake’s current deal with UMG nearing the end of its term, the company is conspiring to devalue his music and profile to gain more favorable terms when the artist and UMG renegotiate the deal.
Violence Follows “Not Like Us”
The “Not Like Us” single’s cover artwork features a photo of Drake’s Toronto home with markers that indicate the presence of a registered sex offender, the lawsuit states.
A few days after the song’s release, there was a shooting incident at Drake’s residence in which a security guard was injured. In the following weeks, two other people attempted to trespass on the property. This resulted in a temporary ceasefire in the rappers’ feud. The cooling-off period followed weeks of vicious back-and-forth between the two. The only break in the ceasefire was lyrics on Lamar’s November album “GNX.”
The suit continues: “… in response to Drake’s concerns, UMG responded that Drake would face humiliation if he brought legal action—presuming that the public would be unable to understand UMG’s role in exploiting and profiting from this dispute. UMG’s posture, as the ‘world’s largest music company,’ was that it is untouchable.”
UMG denounced Drake’s accusations during his earlier November legal action: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
UMG, at the time of the writing of this article, has yet to release an updated statement.
