Drake Officially Sues UMG Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”

One day after dropping his pre-action petition against Universal Music Group, Drake has officially sued the label over Kendrick Lamar diss record, “Not Like Us.”

Drake filed the defamation case Wednesday (Jan 15) morning in a New York federal court, TMZ reports. Claims made in the suit mirror those from the original petition, including that UMG knew that the pedophile claims made on the aforementioned hit were false and defamatory, yet still chose to distribute and the record. He also doubled-down on claims that UMG ignored the “inflammatory and shocking allegations” of the record knowing it would be a “gold mine” for the company, emphasizing that they had a financial incentive to promote what he claims are lies.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 23: Drake is seen on October 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by BG027/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

The hitmaker also believes that UMG had a hand in Lamar securing next month’s Super Bowl Halftime Show so that he could perform “Not Like Us” at what he calls “one of the most significant (and viewed) cultural events of the year.” He also believes UMG promoted the record so heavily in an effort to devalue his music and brand, giving the label more leverage in future negotiations.

He also argues that the song put him in danger, citing that there have been multiple shootings near his home since the record dropped, including one that injured a security guard.

The suit is clear, however, that Drake has no intention of pursuing litigation against Lamar himself, stating, “This lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us.’ It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize” the record he claims is full of untruths.

While UMG has yet to address the lawsuit, they did address his initial petition in a statement to Variety back in November.

“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” detailed the memo. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.“

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