Drake Hits UMG With Defamation Lawsuit Over "Not Like Us"

Despite a briefly held assumption that things may be cooling down on the legal front when it comes to Drake's allegations over Kendrick Lamar's “Not Like Us” diss, we now know that no such thing is afoot.

As first reported by TMZ on Wednesday, the 6 god has now brought a full-fledged defamation case against Universal Music Group over the track. Docs initially cited by the publication and later viewed by Complex see Drake’s legal team arguing that UMG was indeed aware of the content of the diss track’s lyrics, marking a return to claims previously made in one of two pre-action petitions.

In short, Drake’s team is alleging that financial gain, not to mention potential contract talks, were the main push behind UMG promoting the track, which is up for Best Rap Song at this year’s Grammys.

The 81-page doc, filed in New York court and listing UMG Recordings as the sole defendant, opens with a quote from Lucian Grainge, longtime UMG CEO. From there, a May 2024 incident said to have involved “an armed group of assailants” at Drake’s Toronto residence is detailed, as well as another incident that same month in which an intruder “used his bare hands to dig a hole under the security fence” surrounding the residence. Also that month, per the docs, a third attempted break-in took 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,” lawyers argue in the docs. “But these events were not coincidental. They immediately followed, and were proximately caused by, UMG’s actions leading up to and on May 4, 2024.”

Specific claims against UMG in the suit include defamation, harassment in the second degree, and violation of the New York General Business Law. Drake’s legal team is asking for nominal damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and legal fees.

Drake alleges that UMG “saw an opportunity” and “seized it” by opting to “fan the flames,” even while allegedly being made aware of the aforementioned incidents in May of last year. Made clear in the docs, per Drake’s legal team, is that the suit itself “is not about” Kendrick but is instead “entirely about UMG,” which he argues knowingly helped spread “false” and “dangerous” claims.

“Drake is not a pedophile,” the docs state. “Drake has never engaged in any acts that would require he be ‘placed on neighborhood watch.’ Drake has never engaged in sexual relations with a minor. Drake has never been charged with, or convicted of, any criminal acts whatsoever.”

Also alleged is that Drake himself made an effort to “privately” address his concerns with UMG. Furthermore, as previously touched on in a pre-action petition, UMG is accused of using bots to “artificially inflate” the popularity of Kendrick’s song.

Complex has reached out to reps for Drake’s legal team for comment, as well as to UMG. This story may be updated.

The news comes after word that Drake was withdrawing a pre-action petition in connection with the Kendrick hit, one of two such petitions he had filed toward the tail end of 2024. As detailed here by Shawn Setaro, neither of those filings were actual lawsuits, though each was considered a potential precursor to exactly that.

The defamation-centered argument being employed by Drake’s legal team stems from key lyrics in the song in question. In “Not Like Us,” which topped Complex’s ranking of the best songs of 2024, Kendrick raps, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor.” He also mocks Drake’s Certified Lover Boy era and questions those allegedly in his circle, like so: “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles.”

Despite being widely considered among listeners to have lost last year’s news-dominating rap war, Drake, undeniably, was no slouch in 2024. “Family Matters,” a Kendrick diss complete with an official video featuring a GKMC-esque van being crushed, landed at No. 3 on Complex’s annual ranking. He also saw one of his 100 Gigs cuts, “Circadian Rhythm,” coming in at No. 32, besting tracks from The Weeknd and J. Cole.