Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against His Record Label Over Kendrick Lamar Diss Track “Not Like Us” | Entertainment & Arts News
Drake has filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) regarding Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us.
The complaint claims that UMG, to which both Drake, aged 38, and Lamar, aged 37, are signed, released and promoted the track despite containing false accusations implying that the God’s Plan rapper is a paedophile and inciting listeners to take vigilante action.
This lawsuit marks the latest turn in the ongoing rivalry between two of hip hop’s leading figures, who exchanged a series of diss tracks last year that included personal attacks against one another.
Lamar is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which was submitted to a federal court in New York on Wednesday.
Drake is seeking a trial and unspecified monetary damages, arguing that UMG intentionally “chose to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize accusations it knew were not only false but also harmful.”
The lawsuit states that these allegations led to an incident in which Drake’s security guard was shot outside his Toronto residence in May of the previous year, along with two attempted break-ins that same month.
Drake is recognized as the world’s most-streamed hip hop artist. Pic: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
The artist, known for being the most-streamed hip hop performer globally, accused the track of inciting online hate and harassment, damaging his reputation, and decreasing his brand value ahead of contract negotiations with UMG this year.
The suit asserts that UMG “knew that the inflammatory and shocking allegations were extremely lucrative,” yet took no action to amend or halt the publication.
It also reinforced previous claims made in a legal petition by Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, filed last November, which asserted that UMG and Spotify artificially amplified Not Like Us using “bots” and pay-to-play tactics.
In response to earlier allegations, UMG issued a statement to Sky News at the time, labeling the claims as “offensive and untrue.”
UMG reiterated its denial of the latest accusations, stating on Wednesday: “These claims are not only false but the idea that we would aim to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is entirely irrational.”
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UMG added: “Throughout his career, Drake has strategically and successfully utilized UMG to share his music and artistry, engaging in traditionally outrageous ‘rap battles’ to convey his thoughts about other artists.
“He now aims to weaponize the legal system to suppress an artist’s creative expression and recoup damages from UMG for distributing that music.”
Lamar’s track Not Like Us has garnered nearly 900 million streams since its debut on May 4. It is nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning artist is scheduled to headline the halftime show at next month’s Super Bowl.
