Drake has filed a second legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the label of defamation and claiming it could have prevented the release of Kendrick Lamar’s controversial song Not Like Us.
According to Drake, the track falsely accuses him of being a sex offender, damaging his reputation.
Also Read: Drake and Kendrick Lamar get personal on simultaneously released diss tracks
In a filing submitted late Monday in Texas and made public Tuesday, Drake’s team alleges that UMG not only allowed the song’s release but actively promoted it through questionable means. The filing claims UMG may have “funneled payments” to iHeartRadio as part of a “pay-to-play scheme” to boost the song’s radio play.
This comes just a day after Drake filed a similar action in New York, accusing UMG of manipulating Spotify streams to promote the track.
In the Texas filing, Drake’s lawyers allege UMG was aware that Not Like Us included false and damaging claims about him but chose to release it anyway. They argue the company prioritized profits over ethics by turning the song into a viral hit.
“UMG could have refused to release the song or required edits to remove the defamatory material,” Drake’s legal team wrote. “Instead, UMG designed and executed a plan to profit from the harm to Drake’s reputation, generating massive revenues in the process.”
The filing accuses UMG of defamation and hints at potential future claims of fraud and racketeering based on evidence Drake hopes to uncover through depositions of UMG and iHeartRadio executives.
UMG Responds
UMG has denied the accusations, calling them “offensive and untrue.” In a statement provided to Billboard, the label said, “The suggestion that UMG would undermine any of its artists is absurd. We employ the highest ethical standards in our marketing campaigns. Fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Kendrick Lamar is not named as a respondent in the filing and faces no legal accusations.
The legal actions mark a dramatic escalation in the ongoing feud between Drake and Lamar, who exchanged diss tracks earlier this year. While such rivalries are common in hip-hop, legal filings over lyrical disputes are rare.
Drake’s latest filing also signals growing tension between him and UMG, where he has been signed throughout his career. Similarly, Lamar remains associated with UMG through a licensing deal with Interscope.
The legal battle underscores Drake’s claim that UMG unfairly prioritized one of its artists over another. According to his lawyers, UMG knowingly released a song and accompanying visuals that attacked Drake’s character with false allegations.
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