Short Summary
A day after
suing UMG and Spotify for inflating
Not Like Us numbers he sues UMG again for defamation this time. As UMG is both
Kendrick Lamar's and
Drake's label he says that UMG knowingly allowed false claims of pedophilia be distributed about Drake. He also says the company paid iHeartRadio to promote the song.
Long Summary
Legal Claims and Allegations
Drake has filed two separate legal petitions against Universal Music Group regarding
Kendrick Lamar's hit diss track
Not Like Us. The first alleges UMG collaborated with Spotify to artificially inflate the song's streaming numbers, while the second claims UMG knowingly distributed a song containing false accusations of pedophilia against Drake and engaged in a "pay-to-play scheme" with iHeart radio network. Both filings are pre-action petitions seeking depositions for potential future litigation on grounds of defamation, civil fraud, and racketeering.
Industry Context and Artist Relationships
UMG has denied the allegations, calling them "offensive and untrue" and stating they employ "the highest ethical practices" in marketing. Neither Drake nor Lamar is directly signed to UMG—both own their masters and operate through their own companies (Drake's OVO and Lamar's pgLang) while licensing music to Universal labels for distribution. "Not Like Us" stands at the center of an ongoing feud between the rappers, which has involved increasingly personal attacks from Lamar, including allegations about Drake's relationships and family that Drake has denied.*There may be errors on this page.
