Drake sues Universal for defamation
For the rapper, the label should not have released Kendrick Lamar's “Not Like Us”
January 16th, 2025
The beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake worsens. This time, the feud between the two rappers wasn't ignited by the release of a diss track but by a lawsuit filed by Drake against Universal Music Group, the record label he shares with Lamar. The Canadian rapper accused UMG of defamation for releasing Not Like Us, the song in which Kendrick Lamar criticizes and insults him. The track has over a billion streams on Spotify and topped major U.S. and international music charts for a significant time. This isn’t the first time Drake has tried to harm his own record label through legal means: not long ago, the artist withdrew legal documentation against Universal and Spotify, alleging they collaborated to artificially boost the popularity of Not Like Us on platforms through the use of bots. According to files Drake submitted to the U.S. court last November, which were later withdrawn, the two parties allegedly attempted to «manipulate and saturate streaming services and airwaves» to promote Lamar’s song. Drake accused UMG of even paying influencers and radio stations to spread Not Like Us, which was released in May 2024.
After withdrawing last autumn's legal motion (which was just preliminary documentation), Drake has now filed a full lawsuit for defamation and harassment against UMG. According to the new legal documents, the release of Not Like Us exemplifies how the label prioritizes «corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists». The accusation specifically targets a lyric in Not Like Us where Lamar calls Drake a «certified pedophile», a « false factual allegation» according to the Canadian rapper's legal team. In the lawsuit, Drake claims that Lamar's attacks in the song have put his life at risk, as he has faced multiple attacks at his Toronto home following its release. The latest chapter in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef comes from the Canadian rapper, who, at the beginning of January, released the song Fighting Irish Freestyle, reflecting on their lost friendship. «Just know this shit is personal to us, and it wasn’t just business», Drake raps. Meanwhile, Channel 4 aired a full-fledged documentary on the beef between the two artists.