Drake has initiated a second legal petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) pertaining to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us.
In the latest filing, his legal representatives assert that Not Like Us has adversely affected Drake’s reputation by “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders, and committing other criminal sexual acts.”
They contended that UMG executives were aware that the song’s lyrics “attacked the character” of Drake and had the option to “refuse to release” the diss track or insist on edits to eliminate the contentious language.
“But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed, and then executed a plan to turn Not Like Us into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues,” they alleged.
Officials at the iHeartRadio network are also included in the filing, as the rapper’s legal team alleges that staff may have received “covert payments” from UMG to promote the song as part of a “pay-to-play scheme.”
In his New York petition earlier this week, the artist behind Hotline Bling accused UMG executives of collaborating with Spotify to artificially enhance the popularity of Not Like Us.
A UMG representative said at the time, “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.”
The petitions are not formal lawsuits but rather pre-action requests for information that could potentially result in one in the future.
Not Like Us was the most successful track in the series of diss songs exchanged between Drake and Kendrick earlier this year. The Canadian rapper refuted the incendiary allegations in his response track, The Heart Part 6.
