Drake A second lawsuit has been filed against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us.” In the latest filing, the Toronto rap star accuses the former Top Dawg Entertainment MC of defamation and “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.”
Drake’s lawsuit states that UMG knew “Not Like Us” falsely accused him of being a “certified pedophile” and “predator,” but chose to continue releasing it anyway.
“UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song, or have requested that the offending material be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s attorneys wrote. “But UMG chose to do the opposite. Universal Music Group designed, financed and executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral hit in order to capitalize on the damage done to Drake and his company. To drive consumer hysteria and, of course, huge revenue, the plan succeeded, perhaps beyond Universal Music Group’s wildest expectations.
Much like the document filed on Monday (November 25), the new petition is not quite a lawsuit, but a “pre-litigation document” that seeks to gather testimony from key figures at UMG and iHeart in an effort to gather more Data to support Drake’s future lawsuits.
Drake has accused UMG of illegally promoting “Not Like Us” by paying Spotify, and he has made similar claims against iHeartRadio in a Texas court. The new documents, filed late Monday (November 25) and released on Tuesday (November 26), allege that UMG “transmitted payments” to iHeart as part of a “pay-to-play program” to promote the song on radio.
Universal Music Group responded to Drake’s filing in a statement on Tuesday, which read: “The suggestion that Universal Music Group would do anything to harm any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We Employ the highest ethical practices in marketing and promotion No amount of contrived, ridiculous legal arguments in this pre-litigation filing can obscure the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.
The hip-hop community was shocked by Drake’s actions, with some calling it the biggest “L” of his career.
