Canadian Artist, Drake has escalated his legal battle with Universal Music, filing a second legal action against the record label over its promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s controversial track Not Like Us.
In court papers submitted in Texas, the Canadian rapper accuses Universal of defamation, alleging the label deliberately amplified the release of a song that falsely accuses him of being a sex offender.
According to Drake’s lawyers, Universal “executed a plan” to turn the track into a “viral mega-hit” by leveraging Lamar’s lyrics to generate consumer frenzy and boost revenues.
This filing comes just a day after Drake lodged a similar pre-action petition in New York, accusing Universal of illegally manipulating the song’s profile on Spotify.
Universal has dismissed the accusations as “offensive and untrue,” maintaining that the company upholds the “highest ethical practices” in its promotional activities.
In Texas, Drake’s legal team is seeking to compel Universal and radio giant iHeartRadio, which operates over 850 stations nationwide, to preserve documents and evidence for potential future lawsuits.
The filing alleges that Not Like Us was played more than 25 million times on iHeart stations in the four months following its release.
Citing a whistleblower, Drake’s lawyers claim Universal may have engaged in a “pay-to-play” scheme, making covert payments to iHeart to promote the song.
While they admit they have not yet confirmed such payments, they argue that iHeart, as the largest radio network in the U.S., is the most likely recipient.
The filing also accuses Universal of inflating Lamar’s streaming numbers using bots and paying influencers to promote the track online, claims Universal has vehemently denied.
At the core of the dispute are the song’s lyrics, which Drake’s lawyers argue contain false and defamatory allegations, including claims that he is a “certified paedophile” and a “predator.”
The filing alleges Universal was aware of these accusations but released the song regardless.
The feud between Drake and Lamar, which has simmered since the early 2010s, reached new heights with the release of Not Like Us, widely regarded as a defining blow in their rivalry.
Drake’s pre-action petitions in New York and Texas are not formal lawsuits but legal maneuvers to secure evidence in preparation for possible litigation.
If approved, they could force Universal and iHeartRadio to disclose information regarding the promotion and distribution of the song.
However, in a statement, Universal has continued to stand by its actions, stating, “No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments… can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
