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In a shocking escalation of their long-standing feud, Drake has launched a second consecutive day of legal action against Universal Music Group, this time in a Texas court, over Kendrick Lamar’s scathing diss track “Not Like Us”, which has been making waves in the music industry since its release in May.
This latest move follows a similar filing in New York on Monday, in which Drake alleges that UMG engaged in deceitful practices to artificially inflate the popularity of “Not Like Us” on Spotify and other streaming platforms, potentially depriving Drake of millions of dollars in royalties.
The two hip-hop superstars, who were once occasional collaborators over a decade ago, have been embroiled in a bitter beef that has now reached a boiling point, with the parent company of the labels for both artists, Universal Music Group, becoming increasingly entangled in the conflict.
Tuesday’s filing in Bexar County, Texas, accuses UMG of engaging in “irregular and inappropriate business practices” to secure radio airplay for “Not Like Us”, including making illicit payments to San Antonio-based iHeartMedia, a leading radio broadcasting company, in a bid to manipulate the song’s chart performance.
The petition, which is a precursor to a potential lawsuit, seeks depositions from corporate representatives of both UMG and iHeartMedia, as well as internal documents and communications that may shed light on the alleged wrongdoing.
The filing takes aim at UMG for allegedly knowing that “Not Like Us” contained defamatory lyrics that falsely accused Drake of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders, and committing other criminal sexual acts, yet still chose to promote the song aggressively.
The petition points out that the song’s lyrics, which call Drake a “certified pedophile”, a “predator”, and someone whose name should “be registered and placed on neighborhood watch”, are particularly egregious and have caused significant harm to Drake’s reputation.
Drake’s legal team argues that UMG’s actions may have constituted defamation, among other claims, and that the company’s actions were motivated by a desire to boost Lamar’s career at the expense of Drake’s.
A UMG representative did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the new filing, but in a statement on Monday, the company denied any wrongdoing, saying that the “suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.”
An email to an iHeartMedia representative seeking comment was also not immediately answered, leaving many in the music industry wondering what other developments may arise from this high-profile feud.
The New York petition, which was filed on Monday, also alleges that UMG fired employees seen as loyal to Drake “in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes”, raising questions about the company’s corporate culture and its treatment of artists.
The back-to-back legal maneuvers represent a major escalation of the feud between Drake and Lamar, two of the biggest stars in music, and may have significant implications for the music industry as a whole.
Drake, a 38-year-old Canadian rapper and singer who has won five Grammy Awards, and Lamar, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner who is set to headline the next Super Bowl halftime show, have been on a collision course for years, with their feud escalating steeply earlier this year.
The release of “Not Like Us” in May marked a particularly vicious moment in the feud, with many fans and industry insiders calling for an end to the public squabbling between the two artists.
