Drake has taken legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the company of defamation and harassment following the release of Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us." The song, which targets Drake, contains incendiary allegations, labeling him as a "certified paedophile." This latest development marks a significant escalation in the long-standing feud between the two artists, which dates back to the early 2010s. The lawsuit, filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, does not target Lamar directly but rather aims at UMG's handling of the track's release.
"Not Like Us" quickly made waves by debuting at number one on the US charts and amassing over one billion streams on Spotify. Such rapid success has drawn scrutiny from Drake's camp. In response to the accusations levied against him in the track, Drake released a counter-song titled "The Heart Part 6," vehemently denying the claims with lyrics such as:
"I never been with no one under age" – Drake
In his legal filing, Drake accused Universal of prioritizing corporate profit over artist welfare. His lawyers argued that UMG launched "a campaign to create a viral hit" from Lamar's song, alleging that they employed bots to artificially inflate streaming numbers, thus creating "the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality."
"a campaign to create a viral hit" – Drake's lawyers
Drake's lawsuit also raises concerns about the artwork accompanying "Not Like Us," which features an aerial photograph of his $100 million Toronto mansion. The image is dotted with red markers reminiscent of those used to denote registered sex offenders, inadvertently linking it to a conspiracy theory about a US child sex ring that led to violence in 2016. Drake's legal team criticized this choice, describing it as a "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile" and cautioning against promoting vigilante justice.
"false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile" – Drake's lawyers
Universal Music Group has yet to issue a public response to these allegations. Meanwhile, Spotify rejected claims of manipulating streaming numbers, stating that there is "no economic incentive for users to stream Not Like Us over any of Drake's tracks." Despite these controversies, Kendrick Lamar's track remains in the limelight, having earned five Grammy nominations, including for Record and Song of the Year.
Drake initially included Spotify in his legal allegations but has since withdrawn those charges. This move reflects a strategic focus on UMG’s actions in relation to the song’s promotion and public reception. The allegations against Universal are serious, with suggestions that its actions went beyond mere negligence and into active participation in misleading public narratives.
"to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response" – Drake's lawyers
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