The longstanding feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has evolved into a complex legal battle between the Toronto rapper and his record label.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Wednesday, Drake sued Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation and harassment over its release and promotion of Lamar’s blockbuster diss track “Not Like Us.”
According to reporting by the New York Times, Variety and other outlets, the suit describes UMG’s release and promotion of “Not Like Us” as an example of valuing “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.” The suit continues, “in controversy, UMG saw an opportunity, seized it, and continued to fan the flames.”
Released in May 2024, “Not Like Us” is a searing diss track that accused Drake and his associates of pedophilia. The song reached number one on the Billboard charts and broke several streaming records on Spotify. Its meteoric success was widely considered a knockout punch in the months-long rap feud between Drake and Lamar.
The lawsuit, which was filed in a New York court on behalf of Drake by attorney Michael J. Gottlieb, accuses UMG of having “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track” that was “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile.”
“Not Like Us” contains several lines that suggest that both Drake and several of his associates are “pedophiles”:“Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,” Lamar raps. “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles.”
The lawsuit also references the cover art for “Not Like Us,” which featured a photo of Drake’s Toronto mansion covered with several red markers that are used to represent the presence of registered sex offenders.
Gottlieb argued that the imagery may encourage the public to resort to vigilante justice and referred to a shooting that took place at Drake’s mansion in May 2024, at the height of the feud. One of Drake’s security guards was left with life-threatening injuries.
UMG, a multinational music company, is the distributor for the record labels of both Drake and Lamar. In 2022, Drake signed a deal with UMG that was reported to be worth as much as $400 million, making it one of the largest recording contracts ever.
In the lawsuit, Drake’s lawyers claim that there may have been a monetary motive for allowing the release of “Not Like Us,” pointing out that Lamar’s contract with UMG was extended last year, while Drake’s is up for renegotiation this year.
“By devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG,” it reads.
UMG did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Star.
The news comes one day after Drake’s legal team withdrew a legal petition accusing UMG and Spotify of artificially inflating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s explosive diss track “Not Like Us.”
Filed in a Manhattan court in November, the petition alleged that the record company and the streaming giant used a network of bots, in conjunction with a so-called pay-to-play scheme, to “manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves” with “Not Like Us.”
Drake and his Frozen Moments company withdrew its legal action on Tuesday, according to a notice issued by a New York court that was reviewed by the Star.
The notice also notes that Drake’s representatives “met and conferred” with the respondents to the legal action in January. Spotify, which filed an opposition to the petition, responded that it had no objection to the withdrawal. Meanwhile, UMG, which had not filed an opposition to the petition, “reserved its position.”
Known as a pre-action submission, Drake’s original legal action was not technically a lawsuit, but a petition for documents in preparation for a potential lawsuit filing.
In December, UMG called Drake’s earlier legal action “offensive and untrue.” In a statement provided to the Star, a spokesperson for the record company wrote: We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this preaction submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Drake launched a second legal action against UMG in November, accusing the record label of defamation and claiming it could have halted the release of a song “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.” That petition remains active.
The Toronto rapper has been relatively quiet in the fallout of his headlines-dominating feud with Lamar. He hasn’t released an official single since May, but in early January, he shared a surprise freestyle track, titled “Irish Fighting.” On Monday, Drake and his son Aubrey attended a Raptors game at Scotiabank Arena.
Lamar, meanwhile, is in the midst of a historic mid-career resurgence. Following the success of “Not Like Us,” he’s been announced as the Super Bowl halftime performer, released an acclaimed new album, titled “GNX,” and announced a massive world tour with SZA, which includes two shows at Rogers Centre this spring.
