Drake Sues Universal Music Group Over Kendrick Lamar’s NOT LIKE US Diss Track

Drake Sues Universal Music Group Over Kendrick Lamar’s NOT LIKE US Diss Track
Drake
In a significant escalation of his ongoing feud with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, Drake has filed a defamation lawsuit against his own record label, Universal Music Group (UMG). The lawsuit, submitted on January 15th, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that UMG’s release and promotion of Lamar’s diss track NOT LIKE US have endangered Drake’s safety and defamed his character.

Drake’s legal action centers on claims that NOT LIKE US falsely portrays him as a pedophile and incites violence against him. The lawsuit details a May 2024 incident where armed assailants targeted Drake’s Toronto residence, resulting in a security guard being shot. Drake attributes this attack, along with subsequent break-in attempts, to the inflammatory content of Lamar’s track and UMG’s aggressive promotion of it. 

The lawsuit accuses UMG of prioritizing profit over artist safety, alleging that the label engaged in unethical practices to amplify the song’s reach. Drake contends that UMG employed bots to artificially inflate streaming numbers and participated in pay-for-play schemes to secure radio airplay for NOT LIKE US. He further alleges that UMG’s actions were strategically aimed at devaluing his brand to gain leverage in future contract negotiations. 

UMG has firmly denied these allegations. A spokesperson stated, “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artiste let alone Drake is illogical. 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.” The company emphasized its commitment to ethical marketing practices and artistic expression, vowing to “vigorously defend this litigation.” 

This lawsuit follows Drake’s previous legal actions against UMG and Spotify, where he alleged artificial inflation of streams for NOT LIKE US. Although he withdrew that particular legal action, the current lawsuit underscores the escalating tensions between Drake and his label. 

The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has been simmering for over a decade, intensifying in recent years with the exchange of multiple diss tracks. NOT LIKE US has been a commercial success for Lamar, topping charts and amassing over a billion streams on Spotify. Despite the contentious nature of the track, Lamar is not named as a defendant in Drake’s lawsuit, which focuses solely on UMG’s role in its dissemination. 

As the legal battle unfolds, it raises critical questions about the responsibilities of record labels in managing conflicts between artistes and the extent to which they should be held accountable for the content they choose to promote.

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