The drama between two hip-hop heavyweights just got even messier. Drake took legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”
In a lawsuit filed in federal court in New York City, Drake claims that UMG—his own record label and Lamar’s as well—released and promoted the song despite it containing false pedophilia accusations against him. The track also allegedly encouraged listeners to take matters into their own hands and seek vigilante justice. While Kendrick Lamar isn’t named in the suit, UMG is taking the heat for publishing the track.
Drake says the fallout from the song has been severe, including a shooting involving his security guard, two attempted break-ins at his Toronto home, online hate and harassment, a hit to his reputation, and even a potential decrease in his brand value just as he’s heading into contract negotiations with UMG this year.
“The lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us,’” the filing states, referring to Lamar. “It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it knew were not only false, but also dangerous.”
The lawsuit also claims UMG went as far as using its vast network and resources to arrange for “Not Like Us” to be performed at next month’s Super Bowl, where Lamar will headline the halftime show.
Along with seeking a trial, Drake is also asking for an unspecified amount of damages. The lawsuit also reiterates claims from other legal filings that UMG artificially inflated the song’s popularity on streaming platforms.
As of now, “Not Like Us” has earned five Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In response, UMG shot back with a statement Wednesday afternoon, calling the lawsuit’s accusations “untrue” and “illogical.” They added, “The notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is absurd. We have made significant investments in his music, and our team has worked relentlessly for years to help him achieve his massive commercial and personal success.”
