Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Universal Music Group, Blames Label For Damaging Reputation
In his 2024 diss track Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamar falsely accused Drake of paedophilia and called for vigilante justice against him.
Just when you thought the drama between the two rap giants Drake and Kendrick Lamar wouldn’t get any more intense, the God’s Plan crooner sued the Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation. On Wednesday, January 15, Drake filed a defamation case against UMG in a New York federal court. In his lawsuit, the 38-year-old Canadian rapper-singer has accused UMG, the parent company of both artists, of orchestrating a malicious campaign against him.
According to TMZ, Drake alleged that the music label promoted Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us, which he said contains false allegations and caused significant harm to his reputation. As per Drake’s lawsuit, the song includes damaging claims, including accusations of paedophilia and calls for vigilante justice against him. The Canadian rapper argued that UMG knew all about the lyrics of the song and the images used in the music video and still chose to publish the track for profit.
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The consequence of the song has been severe. In his lawsuit, Drake pointed out incidents like shooting a security guard and two break-ins at his Toronto home, along with harassment on the internet and damage to his public image. He further stated that these issues have hurt his brand’s value, especially as he negotiates a new contract with UMG this year.
Drake clarified that the “lawsuit is not about the artist who created Not Like Us" but “entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetise allegations that it understood were not only false but dangerous." He alleged that UMG exploited the song’s “inflammatory and shocking allegations" to make money, calling it a “gold mine" for the label.
His lawsuit also claimed that the music company had even arranged for Not Like Us to be performed at this year’s Super Bowl, where Lamar is slated to headline the halftime show.
UMG denied all the allegations in response to the lawsuit. In a statement, they said, “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist — let alone Drake — is illogical." The company highlighted their longstanding support to the Canadian rapper, highlighting the significant investments it has made to help him achieve global success.
Accusing Drake of using the lawsuit to silence creative expression, UMG continued, “Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponise the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music."
Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s rivalry has simmered for years, dating back to 2013 when Lamar began taking digs at Drake in his songs, which reached its height last year. Now, the latter is seeking a trial and monetary damages but has not disclosed the exact amount he is requesting.
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