Just one day after Drake filed a petition accusing Universal Music of conspiring with Spotify to falsely boost the numbers of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” the Canadian rapper has filed a second action, this one in Texas, claiming that UMG was aware that the song “falsely” accused him of pedophilia, but chose to distribute it anyway.
Allegations Against UMG
It also claims that UMG “funneled payments” to iHeart, the country’s largest radio network, as part of a “pay-to-play scheme” to promote the song on radio.
Defamation Claims
With regard to the defamation allegations, the petition says the company “could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed. But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”
Legal Actions
To be clear, these petitions are not lawsuits: They’re pre-action filings intended taking depositions from key figures at UMG and iHeart in order to obtain more information for a potential future lawsuit. While the petition claims Drake’s attorneys already have enough evidence of defamation, they say they are considering allegations of civil fraud and racketeering.
UMG’s Response
UMG did not immediately respond to Variety‘s requests for comment on this latest petition, but in response to Monday’s a rep for the company said: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.“ Reps for iHeart, Drake and Lamar declined comment Monday and did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on Tuesday.
Artists’ Affiliation with UMG
It also should be noted that neither artist is signed directly to UMG: Both artists are now at the level where they own their own masters and are signed with their own companies — Drake’s OVO and Lamar’s pgLang — and license their music to Universal labels for marketing and distribution.
Feud Between Artists
While sources close to the situation claim that Drake’s petition is about Universal — the label that has distributed his music since he first signed with Lil Wayne’s Young Money label in 2009 — rather than Spotify, iHeart or even Lamar directly, it hardly seems coincidental that the legal action is based around the song at the center of a long-running feud between the two artists; “Not Like Us” is also a rare diss track that not only topped the Billboard Hot 100 but is nominated for multiple 2025 Grammy Awards.
Escalation of Dispute
Earlier this year, Lamar piled on a series of increasingly personal diss tracks against Drake, not only accusing him of having relationships with underaged women — which Drake has denied — as well as children not revealed to the public, and has gone so far as to address Drake’s son Adonis, his mother and others in his songs.
Legal Ramifications
Drake released songs in response, but soon removed them from his socials and then went silent. The beef calmed down after a man was shot outside of Drake’s Toronto residence in May, but fired up again with the surprise release of Lamar’s new “GNX” album on Friday.
Conclusion
It seems possible that, having quite clearly lost the battle with Lamar in the virtual streets of hip-hop cred, Drake may be trying to up the stakes by taking it to court. How that plays out is an open question.
FAQs
Q: What are the allegations against Universal Music Group?
A: Drake has accused UMG of conspiring with Spotify to falsely boost the numbers of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track against him.
Q: What legal actions has Drake taken?
A: Drake has filed petitions to gather more information for potential future lawsuits, including claims of defamation, civil fraud, and racketeering against UMG.
Q: How have the artists responded to the situation?
A: Both Drake and Lamar have remained relatively silent in the media regarding the legal dispute.
Credit: variety.com
