NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – Numerous media outlets have reported that Canadian singer/rapper Drake withdrew a legal petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, which accused the companies of scheming to “artificially inflate” Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” However, Drake has now escalated the situation by launching a defamation lawsuit against UMG, according to a legal document filed Tuesday (January 15), obtained and reported by MBW.
In the lawsuit, Drake accuses UMG of promoting a “false and malicious narrative” about him through the lyrics, single artwork, and music video for “Not Like Us.” He claims the track’s release and promotion have led to physical threats, online harassment, and concerns for the safety of himself, his family, and his friends.
The lawsuit emphasizes that it’s not about Lamar, the artist who created the track. Instead, it focuses on UMG’s decision to “publish, promote, exploit, and monetize” allegations they knew were false and dangerous. According to the complaint, UMG prioritized profits over Drake’s safety and well-being.
Drake’s legal team, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, issued a statement saying, “Drake filed a lawsuit against his label, Universal Music Group, to hold UMG accountable for knowingly promoting false and defamatory allegations against him… This lawsuit reveals the human and business consequences to UMG’s elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
Drake’s original petition, filed in November 2024 and since withdrawn – claimed that UMG used bots and pay-to-play deals to make “Not Like Us” go viral. It also alleged that UMG gave Spotify a 30% discount on licensing fees in exchange for recommending the track to users, accusations Spotify has denied.
UMG previously stated that any suggestion they would undermine one of their artists was “offensive and untrue” and emphasized their ethical practices. The company has responded to the new defamation lawsuit with a statement from a UMG spokesperson.
“Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist — let alone Drake — is illogical. We have invested massively in his music, and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.
“Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth’ rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists.
“He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.
“We have not and do not engage in defamation — against any individual. At the same time, we will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation and any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more than write a song.”
Drake and Lamar release music under UMG, with Drake on Republic Records and Lamar on Interscope.
