Drake is officially suing Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar‘s hit diss song “Not Like Us.”
On Wednesday (January 15), Drizzy filed a complaint in New York federal court accusing the music giant — the parent company of his and Kendrick’s respective record labels — of defamation and harassment.
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In the suit, which has been viewed by HipHopDX, the Toronto rap star condemns UMG for having “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him.”
He repeats previous claims that the company used “unlawful” methods to turn “Not Like Us” into a global hit, including secretly paying for fake streams and radio play.
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The motive for this, he says, was financial. Not only would the song generate massive amounts of money through streams and sales, but UMG knew its “dangerous” content would “devalue Drake’s music and brand” and give them an advantage when it came time to renegotiate his contract.
“UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would be costly,” the lawsuit reads. “By devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG.”
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Supporting his claim of defamation, the complaint includes numerous examples of the “avalanche of online hate speech” that has “branded Drake a sex offender and pedophile.”
It also cites a shooting at the rapper’s Toronto home shortly after the release of “Not Like Us” which injured a security guard, as well as multiple trespassing incidents. According to Drake, UMG is to blame.
He even claims that this pattern of “violence and vitriol” has left him “fear[ing] for the safety and security of himself, his family, and his friends.”
“After the attacks on his home, Drake pulled his son out of the elementary school he attended in Toronto due to safety concerns, and once school ended for the summer, Drake arranged for his son and mother to leave Toronto entirely,” the lawsuit reads. “Day to day, Drake continues to take steps to address persistent threats to his security.”
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Drizzy claims that he confronted UMG about the release and promotion of “Not Like Us,” as well as the “tangible harm” that he has faced as a result of the song, but the company did nothing.
While the 6 God has faced backlash within the Hip Hop community for taking legal action in a rap beef, the lawsuit makes clear that his dispute is solely with UMG and not Kendrick Lamar.
“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 allegations that it understood were not only false, but dangerous,” it says.
The suit, which UMG has yet to respond to, demands a jury trial.
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The bombshell filing comes shortly after Drake withdrew his initial pre-action petition against the music conglomerate, leading many to believe that he was backing out of the legal battle.
Submitted in November, the petition laid out Drizzy’s allegations of streaming bots and payola, among other things, and sought information from UMG and Spotify for a potential future lawsuit.
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UMG vehemently denied the claims in a statement at the time, while Spotify submitted an opposition to the petition also denying any wrongdoing.
Around the same time, Drake filed a similar petition in Texas against UMG and iHeartMedia. While a lawsuit has yet to be issued in that case, a court hearing is scheduled for January 28 to determine whether the “God’s Plan” hitmaker can depose individuals from the two companies.
