New Drake lawsuit claims his label pushed ‘Not Like Us’ diss to defame him: NPR
The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar continues to set new precedents in the world of rap beef. Drake has filed a new lawsuit against his parent company, Universal Music Group, accusing the conglomerate of promoting a song that put his life and livelihood in immediate danger.
A new 91-page lawsuit filed in New York’s Southern District Court today details three attempted home invasions the Canadian rapper experienced at his Toronto residence last spring — one involving the shooting of his security guard — and months of online hate. Drake claims in the petition that these break-ins and the broader vitriol he experienced are a direct result of UMG’s release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the Drake-targeted single.
The lawsuit alleges that UMG knowingly committed defamation in releasing and promoting “Not Like Us” because the record’s lyrics “promote the false and malicious narrative that Drake is a pedophile,” using an aerial photo of his home as song cover art and inspire the public to “resort to vigilante justice in response.”
“The recording covers smart dangerous lyrics behind a catchy beat and inviting hook. Building on these qualities, UMG used every tool at its disposal to ensure the world would hear that Drake ‘likes ’em young,'” the lawsuit states . goes on to cite a series of TikTok and YouTube posts defaming the rapper as a result of the song, sharing a photo of a flyer posted around his neighborhood calling him a predator and claiming the musician had to to pull his child out of school for fear of his safety.
Graham’s lawyers claim that UMG heavily promoted the track to tarnish Drake’s reputation and devalue his brand as an artist with the intention of backing him into a corner and re-signing a deal favorable to the label.
This latest case follows news that the Canadian rap star withdrew an earlier filing against UMG and streaming giant Spotify, which accused the companies of launching a campaign that paid influencers, radio stations and others to promote the song last summer. Both lawsuits lean on UMG’s power in the situation and downplay Lamar’s role in the conflict as the artist who released the song, fraught with accusations of pedophilia and child care.
“UMG may portray this complaint as a rap beef gone legal, but this lawsuit is not about a war of words between artists. This lawsuit does not involve any claims against Kendrick Lamar or any other artist; instead, it is about UMG – the publisher and the exclusive the rights holder of Lamar’s music as well as Drake’s — and its malicious decision to release and promote” the track, the lawsuit says.
In the months since its release, “Not Like Us” has grown into a cultural phenomenon far bigger than the original beef. Aside from these lawsuits regarding the track, “Not Like Us” has become a West Coast anthem, has been streamed more than a billion times worldwide (and counting), and is nominated for five awards heading into the 2025 Grammys next month, including song and year’s record. Off the momentum of “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar has released a cinematic music video, hosted a Juneteenth concert in Los Angeles, and dropped his sixth studio album, GNXa work that doubles down on the message of separating himself from those in the culture he sees as false, malevolent and deceitful. By comparison, the tracks Drake dropped in the wake of the pair’s fight (“No Face” and “Housekeeping Knows” feat. Latto) have hit streams but struggled to make the same impact.
Drake is suing UMG for an undisclosed amount in damages.
UMG denied the lawsuit’s claims in a statement: “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,” it begins. “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 statement says the artist 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 throughout his career, and that 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.”
“We have not and do not engage in defamation – against any individual,” it continues. “At the same time, we will vigorously defend this lawsuit to protect our people and our reputation, as well as any artist who may directly or indirectly become the frivolous target of lawsuits for doing nothing more than writing a song.”