Drake sues Universal Music Group for defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” alleging UMG promoted a "false" narrative.

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Kennedy Felton Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer

Lifestyle

Drake accuses UMG of defamation over ‘Not Like Us’ feud with Kendrick Lamar

Jan 15

Kennedy Felton Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer

By Kennedy Felton (Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

Last year’s biggest rap beef has officially entered the courtroom. Drake is suing his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), for defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.”

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The lawsuit comes after Drake withdrew a separate petition accusing UMG and Spotify of artificially boosting the track’s streams. Now, Drake alleges that UMG promoted a “false and malicious” narrative that he is a pedophile.

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Allegations against UMG

The 81-page lawsuit claims UMG paid a third-party bot to inflate the song’s streams by at least 30 million. It also alleges UMG engaged in a “pay-for-play” scheme with a radio promoter to increase the track’s popularity.

Drake argues the song’s success led to real-world consequences. In spring 2024, a gunman opened fire outside his Toronto home, injuring a security guard. The following day, another intruder reportedly dug under his security fence.

While Drake and Lamar operate under their own labels –– OVO Sound and pgLang, respectively –– both function as subsidiaries of UMG.

UMG denies allegations

UMG has denied Drake’s claims. In a statement provided to TMZ, a UMG spokesperson said:

“Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and engage in conventionally outrageous rap battles. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence creative expression and seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”

UMG added that it does not engage in defamation and plans to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit to protect its reputation and artists.

Despite the controversy, “Not Like Us” became a cultural phenomenon. Last year, it earned five Grammy nominations and won Top Rap Song at the Billboard Music Awards.

Lamar is also slated to perform at this year’s Super Bowl, a move Drake claims UMG helped orchestrate.

Tags: Celebrities, Defamation, Defamation Lawsuit, Drake, Entertainment, Kendrick Lamar, Lawsuit, Music, Super Bowl

[KENNEDY FELTON]

Rap beef has officially entered the courtroom. Drake is suing his own record label – Universal Music Group – in a defamation case stemming from Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”

The lawsuit follows Drake’s withdrawal of a separate petition accusing UMG and Spotify of artificially boosting the track’s streams. Now, he’s taking direct aim at UMG, claiming the label supported a “false and malicious” narrative that he’s a pedophile.

While Drake and Kendrick both operate under their own labels, they function as subsidiaries of UMG.

In “Not Like Us,” Kendrick makes several allegations against Drake, with lyrics like: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one” and “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles”

According to the 81-page suit, UMG allegedly paid a third-party bot to increase the song’s streams by at least 30 million and engaged in a “pay for play” scheme with at least one radio promoter.

Drake says the song’s popularity led to real-world consequences, including a gunman opening fire outside his Toronto home last spring, injuring a security guard. The next day, another intruder reportedly dug a hole under his home’s security fence.

UMG has denied all claims. According to TMZ, a spokesperson says, “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’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”

Despite the controversy, “Not Like Us” became a pop culture staple last year, earning five Grammy nominations and winning “Top Rap Song” at last year’s Billboard Music Awards. Kendrick is set to perform at this year’s Super Bowl – another move Drake claims UMG helped orchestrate.

Drake accuses UMG of defamation over ‘Not Like Us’ feud with Kendrick Lamar

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