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Drake doubles-down on Universal Music defamation claim over Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss track “Not Like Us”.

Just a day after withdrawing his legal petition against UMG and Spotify over alleged stream-boosting practices, Drake has reignited his legal controversy. The rapper has doubled down on his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), centred around Kendrick Lamar’s track “Not Like Us”.

Drake withdraws legal petition against UMG and Spotify over alleged stream boosting

The allegations: A matter of safety and defamation

Drake’s lawsuit claims that UMG exploited Lamar’s track, which labels Drake as a “certified pedophile,” despite knowing the allegations were false and inflammatory. The filing can be read here.

The lawsuit starts by describing chilling incidents that followed the song’s release: a drive-by shooting at Drake’s property where a security guard was injured, and another intrusion where an individual tunneled under a wall with their bare hands and hurled racial slurs at the artist.

Drake asserts that UMG actively “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him”. In doing so, claiming that UMG released and promoted the track at the expense of Drake’s reputation and personal safety.

Notably, Lamar is not named as a defendant in this case. Instead, the legal battle focuses solely on UMG, accusing the label of monetising and distributing defamatory content despite being fully aware it was “not only false, but dangerous”.

UMG’s response

UMG wasted no time in refuting Drake’s claims, calling the lawsuit “illogical”. The company insists that it has and does not engage in defamation against any individual, and will “vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation”.

“Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist – let alone Drake – is illogical.”

UMG spokesperson speaking to Variety

UMG emphasised their extensive investment in Drake’s career, tirelessly helping him to achieve “historic commercial and personal financial success”. UMG also stated that Drake has previously used UMG to distribute his own back-and-forth rap battles of a similar nature to express his feelings about other artists, highlighting the hypocritical and nonsensical nature of Drake’s claim.

Additionally, UMG accused Drake of weaponising legal proceedings in order to silence an artist’s creative expression, whilst seeking damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.

Fan speculation

Speculation suggests Drake’s motives extend beyond this defamation case, as was apparent when Drake filed the initial proceedings in November. With his current deal with UMG nearing its end, the lawsuit hints at these underlying tensions. Drake alleges that UMG supported Lamar’s track to devalue Drake’s brand and his music in order to leverage this and “force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG”. 

Regardless of the outcome, Drake’s relationship with UMG appears strained beyond repair. Whether this case proceeds to court or is settled outside, the prospects of a new deal between the two seems less likely than ever.