Drake has taken his battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) to the next level by filing a defamation lawsuit accusing the label of spreading a “false and malicious narrative” about him.
The legal dispute centers around Kendrick Lamarâs diss track, “Not Like Us,” which Drake alleges contains defamatory claims, including accusations of pedophilia.
The Lawsuit
Filed on Wednesday in federal court in New York City, Drakeâs lawsuit asserts that UMG knowingly released and promoted âNot Like Us,â despite its harmful and untrue allegations.
According to the filing, the labelâs actions have caused significant damage to Drakeâs reputation and career.
This development comes just a day after Drake dropped his initial lawsuit against UMG.
On Tuesday, Drake withdrew a petition that accused the label of engaging in an illegal scheme to boost the streaming numbers of “Not Like Us” using bots and payola.
đđŸ Related: Drake Takes Legal Action Over Alleged UMG & Spotify Scheme To Boost Kendrick Lamarâs âNot Like Usâ
Background
The controversy began in March 2024 when Kendrick Lamarâs verse on Future and Metro Boominâs track âLike Thatâ reignited tensions between the two artists.
The feud escalated with a series of diss tracks, culminating in Lamarâs âNot Like Us,â which became a massive hit.
Drake alleges that UMGâs unethical practices, including reduced licensing rates and bot-driven streaming boosts, played a significant role in the trackâs success.
In December, Spotify filed opposition papers denying any involvement in the alleged scheme.
A Spotify spokesperson stated, âWe have no economic incentive to favor âNot Like Usâ over any of Drakeâs tracks,â emphasizing transparency in their promotional practices.
UMGâs Response
UMG has denied all accusations.
In a statement shared with Variety, the label said, âThe suggestion that UMG would undermine its own artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing.â
What’s happening with Drake is historic in the world of Hip Hop. Never before have we seen someone engage in a rap battle, take an L, and then get litigious.
Bless his heart.
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He sounds like a woman constantly blaming other women for her man’s cheatingđ€ŠđŸââïžđ€Ł….mad at errbody except Kemdrick…never have i seen somebody lose a rap battle and file a lawsuit smh dam shame
It’s like he lashing out at everyone but Kendrick because that would be him admitting her lost that battle.