Drake performs during Wicked (Spelhouse Homecoming Concert) with 21 Savage at Forbes Arena at Morehouse College on October 19, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar continues to set new precedents in the world of rap beef. Drake has filed a new lawsuit against his parent label, Universal Music Group, accusing the conglomerate of promoting a song that put his life and livelihood in immediate danger.
A new 91-page lawsuit filed today in New York’s Southern District Court details three attempted home invasions the Canadian rapper suffered at his Toronto residence last spring – one involving the shooting of his security guard – and months of online hate. Drake alleges in the petition that these break-ins, and the broader vitriol he received, were a direct result of UMG’s release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the single Drake targeted that became a hit.
The lawsuit states that UMG knowingly committed defamation by releasing and promoting “Not Like Us” because the record’s lyrics “advance the false and malicious narrative that Drake is a pedophile,” uses an overhead view of his house as the cover of the film. song and encourage the public to “use vigilante justice in response”.
“The recording hides cleverly dangerous lyrics behind a catchy beat and an inviting chorus. Capitalizing on these attributes, UMG used every tool at its disposal to ensure the world would hear that Drake ‘loves ’em young,'” reads on in the lawsuit goes on to cite a number of posts on TikTok and YouTube that defame the rapper because of the song shares a photo of a flyer that was posted in his neighborhood calling him a predator and claims that the musician; has had to withdraw his; child out of school for fear of his safety.
Graham’s lawyers claim UMG heavily promoted the track in order to weaken Drake’s reputation and devalue his brand as an artist, in an attempt to put him in a bind and re-sign a deal favorable to the label.
This latest lawsuit follows the announcement that the Canadian rap star withdrew an earlier complaint against UMG and streaming giant Spotify, which accused the companies of launching a campaign paying influencers, radio stations and others to promote the song last summer. Both lawsuits rely on UMG’s power in the situation and downplay Lamar’s role in the conflict as the artist who released the song laden with accusations of pedophilia and child grooming.
“UMG may frame this complaint as a rap case gone legal, but this lawsuit is not about a war of words between artists. This lawsuit does not involve any claim against Kendrick Lamar or any other artist; rather, it is about UMG — the publisher and exclusive rights holder to Lamar’s music, as well as that of Drake — and his malicious decision to publish and promote” the song, the lawsuit says.
In the months since its release, “Not Like Us” has become a cultural phenomenon far larger than the initial beef. Lawsuits over the track aside, “Not Like Us” has become a West Coast anthem, has been streamed over a billion times worldwide (and counting), and is nominated for five awards ahead of the 2025 Grammys next month, including Song and Record of the Year. Building on the momentum of “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar released a cinematic music video, hosted a Juneteenth concert in Los Angeles and released his sixth studio album, GNXa body of work that doubles down on the message of separating oneself from those in the culture it considers false, harmful, and fraudulent. In comparison, the tracks Drake released in the wake of the duo’s battle (“No Face” and “Housekeeping Knows” feat. Latto) racked up streams but struggled to make the same impact.
Drake is suing UMG for an undisclosed amount of damages. NPR has reached out to the label for comment.
