On Tuesday (Nov. 26), Drake escalated his legal battle against Universal Music Group by filing a second petition, this time in Texas. According to Billboard, the Toronto native accused the music giant of defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” on which the Compton emcee alluded to him and his OVO crew being sex offenders. This comes one day after the Her Loss artist initiated similar legal action in New York.

In the latest filing, Drake’s lawyers claim UMG “funneled payments” to iHeartMedia, Inc. as part of a scheme to push “Not Like Us” on radio stations nationwide. The petition also asserted that the record label was fully aware of Lamar’s hit single, which included lines like, “Certified lover boy? Certified pedophiles.”

“UMG ... could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” the OVO rapper's legal team argued. “But [they] chose to do the opposite. [They] designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”

Similar to what Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC filed in New York, the Texas case isn’t a full-fledged lawsuit; it’s a pre-action petition aimed at securing depositions from UMG and iHeartMedia executives. Drake’s lawyers added that they already possess sufficient evidence for defamation, but seek further details to potentially pursue additional claims, including civil fraud and racketeering.

As REVOLT previously revealed, UMG dismissed the accusations from the first petition, calling them “offensive and untrue.”

“We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns,” the company said. “No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.” iHeartMedia hasn’t commented on the filing, and Lamar wasn’t listed as a defendant or accused of any crime.