Drake’s feud with Universal Music Group recently escalated to DEFCON 1. The Toronto rapper has filed a second lawsuit against the music giant, and his lawyer previously dismissed allegations that UMG was working on a “pay-to-play” arrangement with iHeartRadio to promote Kendrick. Lamar’s “Fake Song” “Not Like Us” in the air.
yes, the second time lawsuit — this time you’re suing for defamation. The first, filed Monday in New York State Supreme Court, alleges that the label worked with Spotify, allegedly manipulating the platform to falsely amplify the word “Not Like Us,” an allegation that could offer another explanation. for this song to be successful without music fans just loving it. Lamar’s song is a dance track, with a rap anthem, but it’s also a diss track that takes direct shots at Drake, including lyrics that accuse “Certified Lover Boy” of harboring sex offenders in his group, and of labeling them ” confirmed pedophiles.”
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Heavy stuff, and it’s hit harder than anyone could have predicted. “Not Like Us” has become a cultural juggernaut, reaching a record-breaking number one on Billboard’s rap chart, two separate peaks as the number one US song on either chart, over 900 million Spotify streams at the time of this writing . . The song was even nominated for five Grammy Awards (one of which was for the song’s producer, not Lamar).
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue.” The statement went on to say, “No amount of invented and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action post can hide the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
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Spotify, on the other hand, declined to comment, although many outlets are seeking an answer.
Drake’s filing on Monday ends the legal gap. Instead, it’s a request that could go to court, as key figures from UMG and iHeartRadio are expected to face charges as Drake’s legal team seeks to gather evidence.
UMG has a deal to license Drake’s music releases under its Republic label and releases from Drake’s Canadian label OVO Sound. According to Drake’s lawyers, there is “ample evidence” that UMG failed to take steps to prevent Lamar from defaming him with “Not Like Us”. They say this lack of intervention is especially important given that Lamar is signed to Interscope, which is Republic, under the much larger UMG umbrella.
Monday and Tuesday’s fill-in comes just days after Lamar dropped his surprise album GNXThe Ringer’s Charles Homles called it “a 45-minute book about the power of going to your biggest hater’s funeral to make sure they leave this coil.”
Surprisingly, Lamar himself has not been named in any of the lawsuits. However, the papers reveal that UMG has shown a preference to make money between two artists signed under Universal to the detriment of Drake’s name.
