Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ | Billboard News

Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG for defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Keep watching for the full details of the case. 

Tetris Kelly:

Is Drake ending his legal beef against UMG and Kendrick? From ending the petition to filing a lawsuit, we got the story. The Canadian rapper has filed an official lawsuit on Wednesday in federal court, suing Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment, calling its release and promotion of “Not Like Us” an example of valuing “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”

The suit accuses UMG of having “approved, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track” that was “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response.”

For a quick refresher, back in November, Drake shocked the music industry when he filed legal petitions against UMG and Spotify, accusing them of an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to pump up Kendrick Lamar’s diss song against Drake “Not Like Us.” Those filings were not full-fledged lawsuits, but rather, pre-action petitions aimed at seeking to secure information so that a full lawsuit can be filed.

An attorney for Drake did not immediately return a request for comment. A spokesman for UMG declined to comment. A representative for Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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