In the latest chapter of Drake’s ongoing feud with Universal Music Group (UMG), the rapper has filed a defamation lawsuit against his label just a day after retracting a prior petition against the record label and streaming platform Spotify.
The suit alleges that UMG boosted Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” to sabotage Drake’s reputation and decrease the value of his music—a move Drake claims was devised to give UMG a leg-up in impending contract negotiations.
The dispute centers around “Not Like Us,” which features inflammatory lyrics such as “certified pedophile” and “A minor,” seeming to allude to allegations of sexual misconduct against Drake.
UMG hit back at Drake’s lawsuit in a sharp statement, dismissing the Canadian musician’s claims as “illogical” and accusing him of attempting to suppress Kendrick’s artistic freedom legally. “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,” the statement reads.
Drake's new lawsuit against UMG over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us":
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 15, 2025
"It was just three days after UMG originally published the Recording and Image that Drake was targeted at his Toronto house by armed intruders in the 2024 equivalent of 'Pizzagate.'"https://t.co/EVhVle8tsx pic.twitter.com/fMwDvoWQLp
The label further emphasized its longstanding support of Drake’s career.
“We have invested massively in his music, and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”
UMG charged Drake with weaponizing the legal system.
“Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth’ rap battles’… He now seeks to silence an artist’s creative expression and seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music. We have not and do not engage in defamation—against any individual.”
UMG also vowed to fight back, stating, “We will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people, our reputation, and any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more than write a song.”
