Drake Says He Had to Pull His Son Out of School Over 'Safety Concerns' in UMG Lawsuit

Drake says “safety concerns” led to him pulling his son out of school after last May’s release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which is now at the center of a full-fledged defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group.

In an 81-page complaint viewed by Complex on Wednesday, Drake, who previously filed a pair of pre-action petitions in connection with the diss’ lyrical content and its streaming proliferation, alleged that seven-year-old Adonis Graham had to be pulled from a Toronto elementary school shortly after “Not Like Us” was released.

As detailed in the suit’s opening pages, Drake says he experienced multiple incidents at his residence that month, including one in which “an armed group of assailants” drove up and opened fire, ultimately injuring a security guard. “Blood was everywhere,” the docs state, adding that it took “nearly 30 minutes” for an ambulance to arrive at the scene.

This was followed by two more alleged incidents in quick succession, all occurring after the release of “Not Like Us.” In one instance, it’s alleged that an unidentified intruder “used his bare hands” to dig a hole under a security fence at Drake’s residence, thus allowing him to secure entry onto the property. Finally, on May 9, five days after the Mustard-produced “Not Like Us” was released, “another break-in attempt” is alleged to have taken place.

“In the two decades leading up to May of 2024, although Drake was constantly in the public eye, nothing remotely like these events had ever happened to him or his family,” the docs state, adding that these incidents “were not coincidental.” Instead, Drake alleges that they were brought on by UMG’s actions, with the music company argued to have “enriched itself and its shareholders” off Drake’s catalog before opting for “corporate greed over the safety and wellbeing of its artists” with the campaign behind Kendrick’s hit diss track.

Deeper into the docs, Drake’s legal team likens the situation to the false claims at the core of the 2016 Pizzagate conspiracy theory, which itself ultimately led to multiple instances of violence.

“With the palpable physical threat to Drake’s safety and the bombardment of online harassment, Drake fears for the safety and security of himself, his family, and his friends,” the docs state. “After the attacks on his home, Drake pulled his son out of the elementary school he attended in Toronto due to safety concerns, and once school ended for the summer, Drake arranged for his son and mother to leave Toronto entirely.”

The suit goes on to cite “persistent threats” to Drake’s security, including social media comments that directly mention Adonis by name. Per lawyers, Drake “reasonably fears for the safety of his family, and himself.” Reiterated throughout is the allegation that UMG should be held legally responsible.

“Following this violence, Drake made lasting changes to his life, including increasing security for himself and his family anywhere they go,” the docs state. “The threat of violence continues to weigh on Drake. … And to this day, Drake experiences anxiety worrying about the physical safety of his seven-year-old son and mother.”

A short while after the lawsuit was filed, UMG issued a public statement.

"Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist — let alone Drake — is illogical," a spokesperson for UMG said, according to Variety. "We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success."