Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG

Drake is intensifying his legal battle against Universal Music Group (UMG), suing them for allegedly promoting a “false and malicious narrative” that labels him as a paedophile.

According to TMZ Hip Hop the lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court on Wednesday, accuses UMG of exploiting Kendrick Lamar’s controversial track, “Not Like Us,” which contains derogatory lyrics and visuals directed at Drake.

As per TMZ Hip Hop, UMG allegedly knew that the claims made on the track were baseless and harmful. Drake criticizes UMG for capitalizing on the song, labelling it a “gold mine” due to its provocative themes, which he claims were promoted with a focus on profit.

According to Drake, UMG aimed to diminish his music and brand to gain leverage in upcoming contract negotiations. In the lawsuit, he reveals evidence that UMG manipulated the song’s popularity, including paying a third party to artificially boost the track’s streams by at least 30 million through a “pay for play” scheme with radio promoters.

Based on these manipulated figures, Drake asserts that UMG falsely labelled “Not Like Us” as a chart-topper. The suit also mentions UMG’s alleged role in securing Kendrick’s performance at the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime show, which Drake calls a significant cultural event. This raises concerns about the potential performance of the contentious lyrics.

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Interestingly, the lawsuit does not target Kendrick Lamar directly but focuses solely on UMG’s decisions to publish, promote, and profit from the track despite knowing its claims were false.

Drake highlights real threats since the song’s release, including shootings near his Toronto home, one involving a shot security guard. After withdrawing a related legal action against UMG and Spotify in New York state court, he filed this federal case. Sources suggest this previous withdrawal aimed to clear the path for this more targeted lawsuit.