Drake Officially Sues His Own Label Over “Not Like Us”

We thought Drake was done. He was not done. In November, Drake filed a pre-action legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify, claiming that the two companies had illegally schemed to elevate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” It was a shocking development, not least because Drake has been releasing music under the Universal umbrella for his entire career. This morning, Drake reportedly withdrew his petition and come to terms with Spotify. But now, The New York Times reports that Drake has officially filed a lawsuit against UMG, claiming that “Not Like Us” is “defamatory.”

This morning, Drake filed a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment. The lawsuit only names UMG as defendant, not Spotify or iHeartMedia or Kendrick Lamar. The case mentions the shooting of one of Drake’s security guards outside his Toronto house last year and another trespasser who was caught and removed after he “used his bare hands to dig a hole under the security fence surrounding Drake’s Toronto house” and who “managed to yell racist slurs and threats against Drake” while being escorted out. The lawsuit links those attacks to the release of “Not Like Us,” arguing that the song was “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.”

According to the lawsuit, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” cover art, which features implied sex-offender markers all over a photo of Drake’s house, is “the 2024 equivalent of Pizzagate.” In the lawsuit, Drake claims that he had to remove his son from his elementary school because of “safety concerns.” He says that he brought his concerns to Universal and was told that he “would face humiliation if he brought legal action.”

Drake has delayed his legal filing against UMG and iHeartMedia in Texas court, seemingly to focus on this lawsuit instead. The lawsuit alleges that Kendrick Lamar’s song “cloaks cleverly dangerous lyrics behind a catchy beat and inviting hook,” and it arrives just before next month’s Grammy Awards, at which “Not Like Us” is nominated for five awards, and the Super Bowl, where Kendrick will headline the Halftime Show. But Drake’s lawyers argue that the lawsuit “is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us'” or “a war of words between artists.” Instead, Drake alleges that “Not Like Us” was released and pushed as a tactic in an ongoing contract renegotiation.

Drake’s lawsuit claims that Universal would not be in business with a known pedophile. Instead, it draws attention to the deals that both Drake and Kendrick Lamar have with the company. The lawsuit claims that Kendrick Lamar and Universal were under a short-term deal that was extended last year. Drake’s UMG contract expires this year, and the lawsuit says, “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.”