Drake sues Universal (yes, because of Kendrick)

The rapper Drake is suing Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation and harassment due to the release of Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us, which accuses him… of being a pedophile.

Drake’s lawyers accuse UMG of orchestrating a campaign to promote this track with false allegations, posing a threat to his safety.

The lawsuit follows Drake’s abandonment of a previous legal action against UMG and Spotify, which he accused of manipulating the streams of Not Like Us to harm his own music, allegations that both UMG and Spotify denied.

Filed on November 25, 2024, this lawsuit alleged that both companies had artificially inflated the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s song. A hearing, originally scheduled in the New York State Supreme Court for January 16, 2025, was canceled after Drake withdrew his lawsuit a few hours before it was set to occur.

The new lawsuit filed by Drake criticizes Universal Music Group for prioritizing financial interests over the safety of its artists. It mentions that the cover of Not Like Us uses a photo of Drake’s house with markers indicating sexual offenders, which, according to the lawyers, contributed to an armed attack on his property.

Recall that on May 7, 2024, a security guard was seriously injured by gunfire outside Drake’s residence in Toronto, during an incident that occurred around 2 AM, before the suspects fled.

In his lawsuit, Drake claims that this attack is directly linked to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track. He adds that this event is part of a series of issues, including two attempts to break into his home, significant damage to his reputation, and online harassment.

Drake emphasizes that this case has significantly reduced the value of his brand, damage that occurred at a critical moment, just before the renegotiation of his contract with Universal Music Group this year.

Not Like Us is at the center of the long rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, a feud that has lasted for years and reached a peak with this commercially successful piece. The song is nominated in five categories, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, at the upcoming Grammy Awards on February 3.

A few days later, Kendrick Lamar will headline the Super Bowl halftime show, where Not Like Us will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated tracks by his fans.

However, Drake has chosen not to include Kendrick Lamar in this lawsuit, targeting only Universal Music Group.