Last year’s biggest rap beef has officially entered the courtroom. Drake is suing his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), for defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.”
The lawsuit comes after Drake withdrew a separate petition accusing UMG and Spotify of artificially boosting the track’s streams. Now, Drake alleges that UMG promoted a “false and malicious” narrative that he is a pedophile.
Allegations against UMG
The 81-page lawsuit claims UMG paid a third-party bot to inflate the song’s streams by at least 30 million. It also alleges UMG engaged in a “pay-for-play” scheme with a radio promoter to increase the track’s popularity.
Drake argues the song’s success led to real-world consequences. In spring 2024, a gunman opened fire outside his Toronto home, injuring a security guard. The following day, another intruder reportedly dug under his security fence.
While Drake and Lamar operate under their own labels –– OVO Sound and pgLang, respectively –– both function as subsidiaries of UMG.
UMG denies allegations
UMG has denied Drake’s claims. In a statement provided to TMZ, a UMG spokesperson said:
“Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and engage in conventionally outrageous rap battles. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence creative expression and seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”
UMG added that it does not engage in defamation and plans to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit to protect its reputation and artists.
Despite the controversy, “Not Like Us” became a cultural phenomenon. Last year, it earned five Grammy nominations and won Top Rap Song at the Billboard Music Awards.
Lamar is also slated to perform at this year’s Super Bowl, a move Drake claims UMG helped orchestrate.
