Rapper Drake has filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, the parent record label he and fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar are signed to. The lawsuit claims that UMG approved and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a song intended to convey false allegations about Drake being a pedophile.
Drake alleged that UMG “intentionally sought to turn him into a pariah” and profit from damaging his reputation, despite knowing the claims were false. The lawsuit also states that the release of Lamar’s song “Not Like Us” created a palpable physical threat to Drake’s safety and led to online harassment.
In May, Lamar released the upbeat track, calling Drake a pedophile and accusing him of appropriating Black culture. The song became one of 2024’s biggest hits and spent two weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. UMG has responded to the lawsuit, saying that the claims are untrue and that they have invested heavily in Drake’s music.
The latest suit comes after Drake dropped a previous legal action against UMG and Spotify over inflated streams of “Not Like Us”. Lamar’s song was part of a feud between the two rappers, which originated in 2013.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/drake-files-defamation-lawsuit-universal-music-group-kendrick-lamar-1236109512