Drake Sues Universal for Defamation Over Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'

Drake is suing Universal Music Group for defamation, harassment and spreading the "false and malicious narrative" that he is a pedophile through the promotion and release of Kendrick Lamar's brutal diss track, "Not Like Us."

In the legal documents, Drake accused UMG of knowing that several of Lamar's lyrics and images in the song's music video were "false and dangerous" and that the song's release and promotion were an example of valuing "corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists."

The "Search and Rescue" rapper's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claimed that Universal "approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response."

"Not Like Us" became one of the biggest hits of 2024, topping Luminate's U.S. chart for on-demand audio and video streams for the year. It was also nominated for five Grammy Awards, and Lamar is scheduled to be the headline performer for the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, with several rumors swirling about whether or not he'll sing it at the live event.

Although Lamar's lyrics are at the heart of the lawsuit, Drake clearly targets Universal, not Lamar, for releasing, distributing and promoting the song.

"This lawsuit is not about the artist who created 'Not Like Us,'" the suit reads. "It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false but dangerous."

Drake previously claimed that UMG and Spotify conspired to falsely boost the song's streaming numbers. However, the rapper withdrew his initial legal petition against the record label.

The "Know Yourself" artist claimed his label was doing everything possible to pump up "Not Like Us" because they knew it would devalue his music and brand and give UMG leverage in future contract negotiations with him.

The suit claimed: "Many months prior to filing this litigation, Drake attempted to address these claims privately with UMG. Drake believed, per [UMG CEO Lucian] Grainge, that UMG's leadership should be held 'accountable for the decisions we make and how we conduct ourselves.' … Yet, in response to Drake's concerns, UMG responded that Drake would face humiliation if he brought legal action — presuming that the public would be unable to understand UMG's role in exploiting and profiting from this dispute. UMG's posture, as the 'world's largest music company,' was that it is untouchable."

The filing continued: "Drake has never engaged in sexual relations with a minor. Drake has never been charged with, or convicted of, any criminal acts whatsoever."