Is Drake suing Kendrick Lamar? Inside the UMG 'Not Like Us' lawsuit
26 November 2024, 11:10 | Updated: 27 November 2024, 10:51
Is Drake actually suing Kendrick Lamar and Universal Music Group for promoting 'Not Like Us' over his music?
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Drake has been in the headlines all year due to his beef and drama with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, and this has reached a climax after the news that the rapper is suing UMG (Universal Music Group) for 'artificially inflating' the success of the song.
The Canadian rapper and Lamar are both signed to labels owned by UMG, however Drake has alleged that they have 'launched a campaign to saturate the streaming services and airwaves' of 'Not Like Us' instead of Drake's discography.
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So, is Drake suing Kendrick Lamar and UMG? What is going on and what does the lawsuit say? Here's everything you need to know.
Is Drake suing Kendrick Lamar and UMG?
The Canadian rapper has launched legal action against UMG and Spotify, alleging they have conspired to 'artifically inflate' interest in Kendrick's song 'Not Like Us', whilst suppressing his music.
'Not Like Us' is a diss track from Lamar all about Drake, and has been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards.
Lawyers for Drake’s company Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG and the streaming service of having “launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves”, using various tactics to make Lamar’s song more popular.
“UMG … conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use ‘bots’ to artificially inflate the spread of Not Like Us and deceive consumers into believing the song was more popular than it was in reality,” Drake’s lawyers say.
The notice also alleges that UMG paid influencers to promote 'Not Like Us' on social media.
Drake and Lamar have been associated with UMG for their entire music careers: Drake is signed to Republic and Lamar via Interscope, both of which are owned by the conglomerate.
UMG have since responded to the news of the lawsuit, telling The Guardian that: “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.
"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.”
