Drake sues his own label Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar 'diss track'

Canadian rapper Drake is suing his longtime label Universal Music Group for promoting Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, saying the song’s false accusation that he is a paedophile has put him and his family in danger.

In a complaint in Manhattan federal court, Drake said the song was “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile” and the public should exert “vigilante justice” in response.

Drake said it led to attempted break-ins at his home, prompting him to travel with extra security, and pull his seven-year-old son from his Toronto primary school and the Toronto area.

He and Lamar, an American rapper who won the 2018 Pulitzer Prise for Music, have feuded for about a decade. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for defamation and harassment.

“UMG may spin this complaint as a rap beef gone legal, but this lawsuit is not about a war of words between artists,” according to the complaint from Drake, whose given name is Aubrey Drake Graham.

“Notwithstanding a relationship spanning more than a decade, UMG intentionally sought to turn Drake into a pariah, a target for harassment, or worse,” the complaint added. “UMG chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”

In a statement, UMG said it has not defamed anyone, called Drake’s claims untrue, and said it would be illogical to harm his reputation after investing massively to make him commercially and financially successful.

UMG also accused Drake of trying to “weaponise” the legal process in seeking damages, and trying to silence Lamar’s creative expression for “having done nothing more than write a song.”

Lamar is not a defendant, though Drake called Not Like Us defamatory. Drake’s lawyers had no additional comment.

Wednesday’s lawsuit followed a November petition in a New York state court in which Drake, through his company Frozen Moments, accused UMG and Spotify of using payola and streaming bots to promote Not Like Us at his music’s expense.

Drake withdrew that petition on Tuesday night. His related case against UMG and radio company iHeartMedia remains pending in a Texas state court, online records show.

The feud between Drake and Lamar has played out in part through so-called “diss” tracks including Not Like Us.

In that song, released last May 4, Lamar mentioned Drake by name, saying “Drake, I hear you like ‘em young” and calling him and others “certified paedophiles.”

A day earlier, Drake had released Family Matters, appearing to accuse Lamar of physical abuse and infidelity, and questioning whether Lamar’s business partner fathered one of his children.

Not Like Us topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for two weeks last year. It received five nominations for the February 2 Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year.