Drake slaps UMG with a defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' diss, UMG responds

When most people thought Drake was finally ready to take his foot off the gas against UMG, he doubled down against the music label. On Wednesday, per TMZ, the Canadian rapper filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG, alleging foul play in promoting a negative image of the rapper by boosting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

In the 81-page complaint, Drake, through his attorneys, tried to shed light on several aspects of UMG’s actions, during and after his beef with Lamar, that hint at their involvement in the attempt to harm his reputation. Here are some of the most important points Drake has made in the complaint.

The lawsuit is not about Kendrick Lamar

At the beginning of the complaint, Drake’s legal team clarified that the lawsuit was not about Kendrick Lamar. The complaint reads, “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.”

Now, let’s look at what Drake has to say about UMG.

The allegations

The complaint starts with a quote from Sir Lucian Grainge, CEO of UMG. “A single lie can destroy a reputation of integrity and . . . while it takes years to build a reputation, it can be ruined in five minutes.”

Drake has alleged that UMG was well aware that the song falsely painted him as a "pedophile" and "predator" and called for violence against him. Despite his being a part of UMG, the label still went ahead with approving and publishing Lamar’s work.

UMG’s intention

Drake has claimed that by launching a campaign to make the song a viral hit, UMG put itself in a comfortable position. The “Family Matters” rapper believes that they stood a chance to make a lot of money off of the song’s popularity. In his opinion, the music label also wanted to have an upper hand for the next contract negotiation with him as his current one is about to expire.

Drake claimed that with a damaged reputation, it would be difficult for him to get the deal he deserves. “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," it says in the suit.

Strategies used by UMG

Drake has claimed that the music label took an “unprecedented step” by removing the copyright restrictions of the song on YouTube and Twitch, whitelisting it for republishing. This resulted in the song being widely covered by reaction and review channels and provided a platform for the song to reach a wider audience.

As per the complaint, the move by UMG, which is “contrary to its internal practices,” set him up for more public vitriol over the false and damaging allegations. Drake has also alleged that UMG is still not done trying to paint him as a “predator.” He believes that they want the song to be played at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans.

Drake believes that UMG has played a key role in helping Lamar secure the headliner spot at the Super Bowl. “On information and belief, UMG conferred financial benefits and leveraged existing business relationships to secure the headliner-spot at the Super Bowl,” the complaint reads.

From pages 34 to 38 of the complaint, Drake has provided supposed evidence that backs his claim about UMG intentionally pushing the song to become a viral hit. He has provided screenshots and social media links that support his argument against UMG.

Threats to Drake, his family, and friends

The biggest concern for the Canadian rapper amidst all the drama is the safety and security of his family and friends. Drake has listed several instances in the lawsuit where his people were at risk following the alleged smear campaign against his reputation. Three days after the release of “Not Like Us,” where he was framed as a “pedophile” and a “predator,” there was a drive-by shooting outside his house.

The complaint says that “an armed group of assailants drove up to the Toronto house” and someone yelled, 'F—k Drake,' before opening fire. “One bullet went through the security gate and hit Drake’s front door; another bullet struck and wounded a security guard, who was also one of Drake’s friends,” the complaint reads.

The next day, an “intruder used his bare hands to dig a hole under the security fence surrounding Drake’s Toronto house," according to the complaint. On May 9th, there was another break-in attempt at the rapper’s house. The lawsuit claimed that in nearly two decades, Drake never experienced anything like this, so the influx of violence and rage against him can’t be deemed coincidental.

The complaint also revealed that Drake had to pull “his son out of the elementary school he attended in Toronto due to safety concerns.” The rapper has since arranged for his son to leave Toronto entirely along with his mother.

If the events mentioned in the lawsuit are all factual, it’s understandable that the rapper has been through a lot over the last eight months. His public image has taken a severe hit because of the allegations made against him. Although Drake tried to clear his name by denying all allegations on “The Heart Part 6,” it seems like the public had turned deaf to his responses.

UMG has denied all allegations

Following Drake's allegations, a UMG spokesperson said that they "have not and do not engage in defamation...against any individual." The statement, shared by Variety, dubbed Lamar's diss track as "an artist’s creative expression," and slammed Drake for trying to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist.

UMG also called out Drake for having used the same music label in the past to "engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists." The official statement noted that the claims made by the Canadian rapper are "untrue" and "illogical." UMG has stated that they will "vigorously defend" their reputation against the lawsuit filed by Drake.