Drake has taken his feud with Kendrick Lamar to federal courtroom.
The “One Dance” rapper, 38, filed a defamation lawsuit in Manhattan on Wednesday in opposition to Common Music Group — which reps each stars — for releasing Lamar’s diss monitor “Not Like Us.”
Within the courtroom paperwork obtained by The Submit, Drake accused the report label of spreading the “false and malicious narrative” that he’s “a pedophile.”
The lawsuit states that on Could 4, 2024, the day “Not Like Us” got here out, “UMG authorised, revealed, and launched a marketing campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap monitor that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and requires violent retribution in opposition to him.”
“Although UMG enriched itself and its shareholders by exploiting Drake’s music for years, and knew that the salacious allegations in opposition to Drake have been false, UMG selected company greed over the security and well-being of its artists,” the go well with added.
Drake is signed to UMG subsidiary Republic Information, whereas Lamar, 37, is signed to UMG’s Interscope Information.
Within the courtroom docs, Drake claimed that Lamar’s diss monitor — which is nominated for 5 Grammy Awards, together with Tune of the 12 months — conveyed the “false factual allegation that Drake is a felony pedophile.”
Lamar isn’t named within the lawsuit.
The docs learn, “This lawsuit is not in regards to the artist who created ‘Not Like Us.’ It’s, as an alternative, fully about UMG, the music firm that determined to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood weren’t solely false, however harmful.”
The Submit has reached out to UMG and Lamar for remark.
In Nov. 2024, Drake filed a pre-action petition in Manhattan in opposition to each UMG and Spotify, alleging they created a “scheme” to “artificially inflate” the streams of “Not Like Us.”
Drake’s attorneys stated the 2 corporations “deceived customers” into considering Lamar’s monitor was extra widespread than it was in actuality.
Nonetheless, it was reported on Tuesday that Drake withdrew the authorized petition in courtroom.
A UMG spokesperson beforehand advised The Submit, “The suggestion that UMG would do something to undermine any of its artists is offensive and unfaithful. We make use of the very best moral practices in our advertising and promotional campaigns. No quantity of contrived and absurd authorized arguments on this pre-action submission can masks the truth that followers select the music they wish to hear.”
The feud between the 2 rappers started in 2013, nevertheless it reached new heights final 12 months when Lamar claimed Drake had intercourse with underage girls in “Not Like Us” — which Drake later denied.
The previous “Degrassi: The Subsequent Technology” star then launched his personal diss monitor, “The Coronary heart Half 6,” the place he alleged that he and his group planted pretend tales for Lamar to make use of in his music amid their drama.
“Not Like Us” achieved large success upon its launch. It broke a number of data on Spotify and marked Lamar’s fourth No. 1 track on the Billboard Scorching 100.
4 months after the track got here out, Lamar was introduced because the 2025 Tremendous Bowl halftime present headliner.