In a dramatic twist within the music industry, Canadian rapper Aubrey Drake Graham, widely known as Drake, finds himself entangled in a high-profile legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG), the same entity that has distributed his music throughout his career. The contention arose after Kendrick Lamar’s song “Not Like Us” recently clinched five Grammy awards, despite being the focal point of Drake’s lawsuit against UMG.
Drake initiated legal proceedings on Jan. 15, accusing UMG of irresponsibly publishing and promoting the controversial track by Lamar, which has escalated their longstanding rivalry. The song, part of a series of diss tracks released in 2024, has been a point of contention due to its inflammatory lyrics that label Drake with severe and damaging accusations, equating him with notorious figures and suggesting criminal behavior.
Lamar, however, remains uninvolved in any legal proceedings concerning the song. According to Drake’s legal team, the lawsuit targets UMG’s decision to publish and monetize the track, highlighting that they did so with full awareness of the potential harm caused by its baseless allegations. The lawsuit argues that UMG’s actions intended to transform a disparaging rap track into a viral sensation, misleading the public into believing the defamatory allegations against Drake.
Previously, Drake had filed motions against UMG and Spotify in late November 2024, accusing them of manipulating streaming numbers using bots to boost “Not Like Us.” He withdrew these motions a few hours before filing the current lawsuit. UMG has defended its practices, asserting its commitment to ethical marketing and promotion, denouncing the accusations as unfounded.
The lawsuit’s timing coincided intriguingly with Lamar’s sweeping success at the Grammys on Feb. 2, where “Not Like Us” won awards in several major categories, including Best Rap Song and Song of the Year. Lamar’s continued prominence was highlighted by his recent performance at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, where he played the controversial song—a performance that had been under scrutiny due to the ongoing legal disputes.
Legal experts and academics have weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the nature of rap battles, which often include hyperbolic and contentious statements, might influence the court’s interpretation of the case. Samantha Barbas, a legal historian, argued that the context of a rap feud generally informs the audience that such allegations are not literal accusations but part of the genre’s competitive tableau.
Amidst the legal confrontations and public performances, the case has sparked interest not only among music fans but also within legal circles, keen to observe how such a unique scenario will be adjudicated. The suit raises significant questions about the intersections of entertainment, free speech, and the responsibilities of music publishers.
This ongoing legal battle between Drake and UMG over Lamar’s “Not Like Us” does not just reflect a personal dispute between two high-profile artists but also underscores the broader implications for how music is produced, promoted, and protected.
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