Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Record Label For Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’

Drake has escalated his ongoing legal battle against his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), by filing a defamation lawsuit against the parent record label he and his rival Kendrick Lamar have been signed.

The Toronto rapper filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, Jan. 15, pointing to the release of Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” as an example of ” corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists” according to The New York Times.

In its filing, Drake’s team says the diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper spreads the “false and malicious narrative” that he is a pedophile.

“On May 4, 2024, UMG endorsed, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit of a rap song that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retaliation against him,” the complaint reads. “Although UMG has enriched itself and its shareholders by exploiting Drake’s music for years, and knew the salacious accusations against Drake were false, UMG chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”

The filing states that Drake is “not a pedophile” and that he “has never engaged in acts that would require him to be ‘placed on neighborhood watch’.”

“Drake has never had sexual relations with a minor. Drake has never been charged or convicted of any criminal act,” the complaint reads.

The lawsuit continues over a shooting at Drake’s home a few days after the song was released, during which a security guard was arrested. seriously injured .

“For the nearly 30 minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive, Drake and others tried to keep the man alive by applying pressure to the gunshot wound with towels. There was blood everywhere,” the filing said.

According to the complaint, nothing similar has happened to Drake or his family in his 20 years in the music industry.

The lawsuit also states that it is multiple burglary attempts at his home that occurred after the song’s release were caused by UMG’s actions.

“With the tangible physical threat to Drake’s safety and the bombardment of online harassment, Drake fears for the safety of himself, his family and his friends,” the new complaint states. “After the attacks on his home, Drake withdrew his son from the elementary school he attended in Toronto for safety reasons, and when school was over for the summer, Drake arranged for his son and mother to leave Toronto entirely.”

Drake’s team announces that the new lawsuit is not against Lamar and clearly places the blame on Universal for releasing, distributing and promoting the song.

“This lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us,’” the complaint reads. “It is instead entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit and monetize accusations that it understood were not only false, but dangerous.”

Universal distributes both Drake and Lamar’s music, but the lawsuit alleges that because Drake’s current deal with the label is nearing the end of its term, the company is attempting to devalue his music and reputation in an effort to obtain more favorable terms in any renegotiations .

On Tuesday, January 14, the 38-year-old rapper withdrew his legal action, walking back his claims that UMG and Spotify conspired to falsely inflate streaming numbers for “Not Like Us” after the allegations were denied by both companies.

In previous allegations, UMG mentioned “ insulting and untrue According to the filing, the record company launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate streaming services and airwaves with a song, “Not Like Us,” in order to make that song go viral, including through the use of “bots” and pay-to. playing agreements.” It says the company and Spotify “have a long-standing, symbiotic business relationship” and claims that UMG has offered special licensing rates to Spotify for the song.

The petition also states that UMG has fired employees considered loyal to Drake “in an apparent attempt to conceal his plans.”

Lamar’s wildly popular single “Not Like Us” was released in May as part of a series of dueling songs from the two artists and features the lyrics: “Say, Drake, I hear you think they young, you better never go to cell block one .”

Lamar also called Drake a “colonizer” and attributed his success to the many other rappers Drake has collaborated with. According to figures from the streaming service, it is the first diss track to reach one billion streams on Spotify. It has also been nominated for five Grammy Awards, including song and record of the year.

The feud between Drake and Lamar is one of the biggest in hip-hop in recent years, with two of the genre’s biggest stars at the center.

The two worked together on and off more than a decade ago, but Lamar began publicly lashing out against Drake starting in 2013. The battle escalated sharply earlier last year.

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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Crime Victims Resource Center for help. They can also be reached toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.

—with files from The Associated Press and Global News

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