Drake accuses Universal Music Group of harassment, defamation in new lawsuit

Drake launched a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), the record company he shares with rival Kendrick Lamar, after his diss hit Not Like Us was released.

The lawsuit, which was submitted to a federal court in New York on Wednesday, is the latest development in the two rappers' ongoing conflict.

This action follows the Canadian rapper Aubrey Drake Graham's withdrawal of a lawsuit he filed against Spotify and UMG.

The two businesses were accused of exaggerating the popularity of Lamar's song in the prior filing, which was a plea for documents rather than a lawsuit.

Drake's legal team alleged in that document that UMG had paid radio stations and influencers to fictitiously increase the song's presence on streaming services.

Drake claims that the advertising of Not Like Us was intended to damage his reputation, and he accuses UMG of harassment and defamation in his latest complaint. The lyrics of the song, which peaked at number one on the US charts, call Drake a "certified paedophile."

According to the lawsuit, UMG's role in releasing and promoting the song resulted in a campaign that inaccurately depicted Drake as a criminal.

Despite the contentious and offensive nature of the song, Drake's legal team contends that UMG not only allowed it but also actively attempted to make it go viral.

The action draws attention to the artwork for the song, which featured a photo of Drake's home with markers pointing to the residences of sex offenders who have been registered.

It also alludes to a shooting outside Drake's house that wounded a security guard a few days after the song was released.

The lawsuit compares this occurrence to the notorious 2016 "Pizzagate" conspiracy, which accused a pizza of being a centre for child trafficking, and links it to the negative public response sparked by the libellous lyrics. It also cites many trespassing attempts.

Following the publication of Lamar's song Not Like Us, which called Drake a "coloniser" who was taking advantage of the hip-hop industry in addition to being a paedophile, the tension between Drake and Lamar grew in 2023.

The song's popularity on streaming services, particularly Spotify, which saw record-breaking streams, fuelled the animosity, which had already seen the two musicians trade a number of diss tunes.

Drake filed a second case in Texas in November, claiming that UMG supported Not Like Us by paying radio station iHeartRadio to promote the song and that the business permitted its distribution in spite of its offensive lyrics.