Drake Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Label-Driven Diss Track ‘Not Like Us’

The dispute between Drake and Kendrick Lamar persists in establishing new benchmarks in the realm of rap conflicts. Drake has initiated a fresh lawsuit against his parent label, Universal Music Group, alleging that the corporation is promoting a song that has placed his life and career at imminent risk.

A freshly filed 91-page lawsuit in New York’s Southern District Court elaborates on three attempted home invasions that the Canadian artist encountered at his Toronto residence last spring — one of which included the shooting of his security personnel — alongside months of online harassment. In the complaint, Drake contends that these break-ins and the extensive animosity he faced are directly attributable to UMG’s release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a diss track directed at Drake that turned into a hit.

The lawsuit contends that UMG engaged knowingly in character defamation by disseminating and promoting “Not Like Us,” as the lyrics “propagate the false and malicious narrative that Drake is a pedophile,” utilize an aerial depiction of his residence as the song’s cover art, and incite the public to “resort to vigilante justice.”

“The track cleverly cloaks perilous lyrics under an appealing rhythm and engaging hook. Exploiting these features, UMG employed every possible resource to guarantee that the world would hear that Drake ‘likes ’em young,'” the lawsuit states. The filing further references numerous TikTok and YouTube posts that defame the rapper as a consequence of the song; presents an image of a flyer circulated in his neighborhood labeling him a predator; and claims that the musician had to withdraw his child from school due to safety concerns.

Graham’s legal representatives assert that UMG extensively promoted the track with the aim of undermining Drake’s reputation and devaluating his brand as an artist to corner him into re-signing a deal that favored the label.

This recent lawsuit follows news that the Canadian rap star rescinded a prior filing against UMG and streaming platform Spotify, accusing the companies of orchestrating a campaign that financially incentivized influencers, radio stations, and others to promote the song last summer. Both lawsuits emphasize UMG’s dominance in this situation while downplaying Lamar’s role in the feud as the artist who released the song imbued with allegations of pedophilia and child grooming.

“UMG may portray this complaint as a rap feud turned legal, but this lawsuit does not revolve around a war of words among artists. This lawsuit does not include claims against Kendrick Lamar or any other artist; rather, it focuses on UMG — the publisher and exclusive rights holder of Lamar’s and Drake’s music — and its malicious choice to publish and promote” the track, the lawsuit highlights.

Since its release, “Not Like Us” has evolved into a cultural phenomenon far exceeding the initial feud. Beyond these lawsuits related to the track, “Not Like Us” has become a West Coast anthem, accumulated more than one billion streams globally (and counting), and is nominated for five awards heading into the 2025 Grammys next month, including song of the year and record of the year. Riding on the momentum of “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar has unveiled a cinematic music video, hosted a Juneteenth concert in Los Angeles, and launched his sixth studio album, GNX, a collection that reinforces the message of distancing himself from those in the culture he perceives as inauthentic, insidious, and deceitful. In contrast, the tracks Drake released in the aftermath of their altercation (“No Face” and “Housekeeping Knows” featuring Latto) have garnered streams but have faced challenges in making a comparable impact.

Drake is pursuing damages from UMG for an unspecified sum.

UMG refuted the claims of the lawsuit in a statement: “These assertions are not only false, but the idea that we would aim to harm the reputation of any artist—especially Drake—is irrational,” it states. “We have invested significantly in his music, and our employees worldwide have toiled tirelessly for many years to assist him in achieving historic commercial and personal financial success.”

The statement mentions that the artist has “purposefully and effectively utilized UMG to disseminate his music and poetry to partake in conventionally outrageous exchanges in ‘rap battles’ to relay his sentiments about other artists” throughout his career, and he now “seeks to manipulate the legal system to stifle an artist’s creative expression and claim damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”

“We have not and do not engage in defamation against any individual,” it continues. “Simultaneously, we will vigorously uphold this litigation to safeguard our personnel and our reputation, as well as any artist who might directly or indirectly become an unwarranted target of litigation for merely writing a song.”