Topline
Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge called Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the record label “farcical” in a letter to the court, refuting the rapper’s allegations that Grainge was personally behind the release and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”
In a letter filed in New York federal court Thursday night, Grainge said Drake’s allegation he was behind the promotion of “Not Like Us” is “groundless and indeed ridiculous,” stating he never heard the song or saw its music video until they were released.
Grainge said Drake’s “farcical” defamation lawsuit against UMG “makes no sense whatsoever” considering Drake is also signed to the label, and Grainge accused Drake of an “attempt to waste my and UMG’s time and resources” by requesting communications from Grainge and UMG as part of discovery.
The letter comes days after Drake’s lawyers filed a host of documents requesting evidence as the rapper pushes ahead with his lawsuit accusing UMG of promoting the “false and malicious narrative” that he is a pedophile through Lamar’s song “Not Like Us.”
Among dozens of other requests, Drake demanded Lamar’s contracts with UMG, documents concerning UMG’s efforts to promote “Not Like Us” and UMG’s communications with Spotify, YouTube and other streaming services, after Drake accused the label of using bots to inflate the song’s streams.
Drake’s lawyers accused UMG of refusing to provide communications involving Grainge, whom Drake accused of being “personally involved” in the marketing and promotion of “Not Like Us,” though UMG previously said Grainge had “no meaningful involvement” in the marketing of the song.
In another request, Drake demanded communications concerning “allegations of domestic violence, violence against women, and/or other forms of violence committed by Kendrick Lamar,” following an allegation Drake made against in his diss track “Family Matters” that Lamar was abusive to his partner (Lamar has previously denied he was abusive, but he hasn’t responded to the allegation since Drake’s diss track or lawsuit).
Drake sued UMG in January, accusing the label of knowingly promoting false narratives about him by releasing and promoting “Not Like Us,” a track Lamar released last year at the height of a widely publicized feud between the two rappers. In “Not Like Us,” Lamar implies Drake is a pedophile, rapping lyrics like: “‘Certified Lover Boy’? Certified pedophiles,” and, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor.” Drake has repeatedly denied the pedophilia allegations. He alleged the song has contributed to public belief he is a pedophile, citing a May 2024 incident in which a security guard was shot outside his Toronto home.
No. In Drake’s lawsuit, and an amended complaint filed in April, UMG is listed as the only defendant. Drake’s complaint states the “lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us’” and is “instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false, but dangerous.”
Between March 2024 and May 2024, Drake and Lamar traded diss tracks in quick succession in what became a highly publicized rap feud. “Not Like Us” became a chart-topping, Grammy-winning hit that was considered Lamar’s “victory lap,” as many observers and media outlets declared him to be the winner. Across all the tracks, the rappers traded wild allegations, including Lamar’s allegation Drake fathered a secret child, which he denied, and Drake’s allegation that he had planted false information in hopes Lamar would use it against him in a diss track.
Drake Sues Universal Music Group For Defamation Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ (Forbes)