Drake Sues Universal Music for Defamation Related to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Diss Track

A hip-hop superstar beef was turned up another notch on Wednesday Drake sued Universal Music Group for defamation of rival Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us”.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York City, alleges that UMG — the parent label of Drake and Lamar — published and promoted the track even though it contained false allegations of pedophilia against Drake and suggested that listeners resort to vigilante justice . Lamar is not named in the suit.

The result, the suit says, was uninvited guests shoots a security guard and two attempted burglaries at Drake’s Toronto home, online hate and harassment, a hit to his reputation and a drop in the value of his brand before his contract renegotiation with UMG this year.

“The lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us,'” the lawsuit says, referring to Lamar. “Instead, it is all about UMG, the music company, that decided to publish, promote, exploit and monetize claims that it understood to be not only false, but dangerous.”

The suit later claims, “UMG did so because it understood that the recording’s inflammatory and shocking allegations were a gold mine.”

And, the suit alleges, the music company has made major investments and used its connections to arrange for “Not Like Us” to be performed at next month’s Super Bowl, where Lamar will be the halftime entertainment.

The lawsuit, which seeks a trial and an undisclosed amount in damages, also echoed allegations in other legal cases that UMG has falsely pumped up the popularity of “Not Like Us”. on streaming services.

The track is nominated for five Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

UMG disputed the lawsuit’s allegations in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“Not only are these allegations untrue, but the idea that we would attempt to damage the reputation of any artist — let alone Drake — is illogical,” the company said. “We have invested heavily in his music and our staff around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”

The firm added: “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 for other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”

Representatives for Lamar did not respond to emails seeking comment.

The feud between Drake, a 38-year-old Canadian rapper and singer and five-time Grammy winner whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, and Lamar, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize winneris among the biggest in hip-hop in recent years, with two of the genre’s biggest stars at the center.

The two were occasional collaborators more than a decade ago, but Lamar began taking public jabs at Drake starting in 2013. The fight escalated steeply last year.

Drake’s lawyers, from New York-based Willkie Farr & Gallagher, said the lawsuit seeks to hold UMG liable for knowingly promoting false and defamatory allegations against him. They said the shooting and attempted burglary at Drake’s home, and the online vitriol, caused him to move his family out of the house and that he fears for his safety and theirs.

“Beginning on May 4th, 2024 and every day since, UMG has used its vast resources as the world’s most powerful music company to push a dangerous and inflammatory message designed to assassinate Drake’s character, leading to actual violence right on Drake’s doorstep .” This is stated by the law firm in a statement.

“This lawsuit exposes the human and business consequences of UMG’s raising of profits over the safety and welfare of its artists, and shines a light on the manipulation of artists and the public for corporate benefit,” it said.