Drake files a formal lawsuit against Universal Music Group in New York
BY Jon Powell / 1.15.2025
On Wednesday (Jan. 15), Drake initiated a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) that accused the label of defamation and harassment. Filed in the Southern District of New York, the case centers on Kendrick Lamar’s scathing diss track “Not Like Us.” While the world hailed the song as a standout in the pair’s highly publicized rap feud, Drake asserted that its lyrics and marketing tactics caused significant damage to his personal and professional reputation.
“This lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us,’” the legal filing explained. “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.”
[UPDATE: UMG responded to the lawsuit, calling it “illogical.” “Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists,” a representative said. “He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”]
As revealed by The New York Times, the lawsuit claimed that UMG “launched a campaign to create a viral hit” from the Mustard-produced offering, fully aware that its lyrics falsely portrayed Drake as a “criminal pedophile.” The complaint referred to the song’s cover art, which depicted the artist’s Toronto home marked with registered sex offender icons. Also mentioned were security breaches at said residence, including trespassers and a shooting incident that injured a security guard, which forced the OVO frontman to remove his son, Adonis Graham, from school for safety reasons. According to the suit, UMG disregarded his warnings and failed to take corrective measures.
Additionally, the For All The Dogs talent suggested that his estranged label’s actions were motivated by contract negotiations. While his current agreement with UMG is due for renewal, Drake’s filing stated that Lamar recently extended his short-term deal with the company. The suit argued that undermining Drake’s reputation provided the entertainment entity with leverage to negotiate more favorable terms.
The lawsuit followed two petitions that targeted UMG and implicated Spotify and iHeartMedia in an alleged scheme to amplify “Not Like Us” through bots and other manipulative practices. While the initial New York submission was recently withdrawn, a second hearing in Texas is expected to take place later this month.