Drake files defamation lawsuit against UMG over ‘Not Like Us’

Rapper Drake He changed the course of his attack against Universal Music Group, and is now going after the media group for defamation less than 12 hours after withdrawing the previous petition.

The Canadian star has just filed a new lawsuit in New York City, alleging that UMG’s promotion of Kendrick LamarThe hit single “Not Like Us” helped promote a “false and malicious narrative” describing the “best of all” performer as a pedophile.

Drake and Lamar are currently signed to their parent label via subsidiaries Republic Records (Drake) and Interscope Records (Lamar).

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday morning, Drake calls out UMG for being more concerned with “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of their artists” by allowing Lamar’s “Not Like Us” to be released.

Through court documents, the artist, born Aubrey Drake Graham, alleges that UMG “approved, published and launched a campaign to create a hit song from ‘Not Like Us'” which was “purported to convey specific, unambiguous and false factual allegations.” that Drake is a criminal pedophile, and suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response.

Since the song’s release, there have been a rash of shootings near and around Drake’s home in Toronto, including an incident where Drake’s bodyguard was injured.

Lamar released “Not Like Us” in May 2024 as the last of five responses to Drake in a long-running feud that reignited in March.

In his song, the “Humble” rapper alludes to previous allegations against Drake related to his close friendships with several young women, including the “Stranger Things” star. Millie Bobby Brown.

Lamar also questions the Canadian artist’s stance on black culture, referring to Drake in “Not Like Us” as a “fucking colonizer,” among other things.

Within days, the song became one of the biggest hits of 2024. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two weeks, and No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs Chart, where it stayed for 20 weeks.

per Hollywood Reportr, Lamar is not among the claimants Drake has sued, despite being the sole lyricist of “Not Like Us.”

“(This lawsuit) is entirely about UMG,” the court documents continue, “the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize the allegations, which it recognized were not only false, but dangerous.”

Drake’s new filing comes less than a day after he withdrew a previous petition against UMG and streaming app Spotify for engaging in illegal tactics to “boost” the numbers for “Not Like Us.”

First filed in November, the petition, which is considered a “pre-action” step rather than a full suit, alleged that UMG and Spotify “engaged in conduct intended to artificially inflate the popularity of the song ‘Not Like Us’.”

This included “licensing the song at significantly discounted prices to Spotify, and using ‘bots’ to create the false impression that the song was more popular than it actually was.”

UMG responded in a statement to diverseHe described Drake’s accusations as baseless.

“To suggest that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is insulting and untrue.” “We use the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and ridiculous legal arguments in this pre-submission can hide the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.

Spotify will respond to Drake’s claims with a countersuit in December, stating that they had “no economic incentive” to force users to stream “Not Like Us” more than they chose, and “never had any arrangement under which UMG would charge Spotify a fee.” “. Licensing rates are 30 percent lower than typical licensing rates for “Not Like Us.”

In response, Drake’s legal team accused Spotify of trying to “distance itself” from UMG.

“If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide, they should fully comply with this basic discovery request,” they add.

Drake and his company Frozen Moments will voluntarily withdraw their petition late Tuesday “at no cost to any party.”

Although Drake and Lamar’s feud had been brewing for some time, it was Drake who caused it to escalate.

On May 3, 2024, he released the controversial song “Family Matters”, which included accusations of Lamar physically assaulting and cheating on his wife, and rumors that one of Lamar’s children was fathered by another man.

It was these grim allegations that prompted Lamar to record three songs in retaliation – “6:16 in L.A.,” “Meet the Grahams,” and his final response, “Not Like Us.”