Note: Drake had previously filed a petition (pre-action) case against UMG and Spotify for using bots to artificially inflate Not Like Us’ streaming numbers. That petition has been withdrawn and now Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG for defamation.
A second petition filed by Drake against UMG for funneling payments to iHeartRadio to promote Not Like Us is still active
The lawsuit basically covers what was in his petition that UMG created a “false and malicious narrative” to promote Not Like Us. Drake also accuses UMG of using their ownership in Vevo to boost the visibility of the Not Like Us video, and removing copyright from Youtube and Twitch which allowed third parties to boost the song.
Drake’s lawyers say that UMG’s business practices were “dangerous and inflammatory” and meant to assassinate Drake’s character. “UMG wants the public to believe that this is a fight between rappers, but this lawsuit is not brought against Kendrick Lamar. This lawsuit reveals the human and business consequences to UMG’s elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
The lawsuit also says that Drake pulled his son from his school and sent him and his mother out of the city due to safety concerns.
UMG denies the claims as “illogical” and said “Drake intentionally and successfully used the label to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists.” Also, Drake is “weaponizing the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”
