In a dramatic continuation to his legal struggles, Drake has filed a second pre-action petition against Universal Music, igniting further controversy over Kendrick Lamar's inflammatory track "Not Like Us," which was dropped during a high-profile feud between the two artists. The Canadian rapper claims in his latest legal papers that he has been defamed in the song, which he asserts includes accusations of being a sex offender.
Drake's accusations suggest that Universal Music purposely engineered the track's virality instead of curbing its release, despite it containing harmful statements about him. His legal team posits that the label leveraged Lamar’s incendiary lyrics to fuel consumer frenzy and drive significant profits, detailing how the company could have taken measures to halt the song rather than allowing it to climb the charts.
This latest action follows a previous legal submission made in New York, wherein Drake accused Universal of engaging in questionable marketing tactics to enhance the song's visibility on platforms like Spotify. Universal, however, has rejected these claims as "offensive and untrue," asserting that they adhere to the highest ethical marketing standards.
Both lawsuits—following different legal pathways—avoid being outright formal lawsuits but allow Drake's lawyers to demand the preservation of pertinent documents related to their case. This petition has been filed in Texas, with implications involving radio station conglomerate iHeartRadio, which reportedly aired "Not Like Us" over 25 million times shortly after its release.
Allegations suggest that Universal may have facilitated "covert payments" to iHeart as part of a questionable promotional strategy to uplift the song, which Drake's lawyers admit remains unconfirmed. The Canadian rapper also previously highlighted that Universal may have inflated Lamar’s streaming numbers through dubious means, claiming they had used "bots" and engaged influencers for deceptive promotion.
These details further elaborate Drake's grievances against Universal Music, where he has spent his entire career. His lawyers allege that the label was aware of the defamatory nature of Lamar's lyrics yet chose to proceed with the song’s release regardless.
The dispute follows an ongoing rivalry between Drake and Lamar, which has seen them taking jabs at one another through their tracks for over a decade. The culmination of their feud has positioned "Not Like Us" as a pivotal moment in contemporary hip-hop, debuting at number one on the US charts and receiving nominations for multiple Grammy Awards, including song of the year. Drake's response, "The Heart Part 6," was intended to refute the accusations laid against him, but he later opted to remove it from his social media platforms.
Both artists operate under similar arrangements with Universal—Drake through Republic Records and Lamar through Interscope—yet their rivalry appears to be escalating, with significant implications for their careers and reputations.
