Universal Music Group (UMG) has responded to Drake’s lawsuit, in which the Canadian rapper accuses the record label of releasing and promoting Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” Drake claims that the song, which came out in May 2024, falsely accuses him of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him. He further points out that the song’s cover art features his Toronto home with labels resembling those used by law enforcement to track sex offenders. Drake alleges that UMG intentionally published, promoted, and profited from these harmful and false accusations.
Drake has been associated with UMG since 2009 and expressed his frustration that the label, which he has worked closely with for years, would promote such a track. In his lawsuit, he stated that UMG “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit” out of the song.
In response to Drake’s legal filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a spokesperson for UMG called the rapper’s claims “illogical” and untrue. The representative told People Magazine, “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. 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.”
The spokesperson went on to argue that Drake’s accusations are inconsistent with his own actions throughout his career. “Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”
UMG also defended itself against the claim that it launched a manipulative campaign to push Lamar’s diss track to viral status. Drake had previously filed court documents alleging that UMG used bots and pay-to-play tactics to promote the song on streaming platforms and radio stations. UMG responded, stating, “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns.”
The label further stated, “No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Additionally, it is worth noting that a day before filing the lawsuit, Drake’s attorney Michael J. Gottlieb submitted a petition to withdraw the action and shift the case to a federal suit.
