Drake sues Universal Music Group over alleged defamation campaign

Rapper Drake has taken legal action against Universal Music Group, claiming the label defamed him through the diss track - Not Like Us - by Kendrick Lamar. The lawsuit alleges a malicious campaign to spread false narratives about Drake.

In Short

• Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group for defamation
• He claimed that Universal promoted false narrative via Kendrick Lamar's track
• Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us was his fourth diss track aimed at Drake

In a significant legal development, renowned rapper Drake has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the label of defamation and harassment.

The suit, submitted on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that UMG orchestrated a malicious campaign to spread a false and malicious narrative about him through Kendrick Lamars diss track, Not Like Us.

The lawsuit claims that UMG approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that purportedly conveys the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile.

Drake contends that the track was strategically promoted to encourage public outrage and vigilantism.

Listen to the track here:

The rapper has accused UMG of leveraging various methods to amplify the songs reach. According to the lawsuit, the label conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use bots to artificially boost Spotify streams of Not Like Us.

Drake also alleges that UMG paid social media influencers, including the hosts of the popular NFR Podcast, to promote the song and its accompanying video.

The suit further asserts that UMG removed copyright restrictions on Not Like Us on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, enabling rapid and widespread dissemination of the track. Drake has pointed to popular streamers, including Kai Cenat, who shared reaction videos to the diss track, as evidence of UMGs efforts to maximise the songs exposure.

Drakes claims extend to allegations that UMG incentivised Apple to manipulate its digital voice assistant, Siri, to redirect users seeking other music to stream Not Like Us. Additionally, the suit alleges that radio stations were paid to increase airplay for the song, and that UMG utilised its influence over Complex Networks to promote it extensively. According to the lawsuit, Complex has published over 50 articles about the track since May.

The lawsuit comes just a day after Drake withdrew a prior legal petition against UMG. This escalation underscores the seriousness of the allegations and suggests a deepening rift between the artist and his label.

Neither Universal Music Group nor Kendrick Lamar has issued a public response to the lawsuit at this time.