For the second consecutive day, Drake has taken legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG), this time in Texas, over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”
This follows a similar filing in New York on Monday, where Drake accused UMG of artificially inflating the popularity of “Not Like Us” on Spotify and other streaming platforms. These two court actions have escalated the ongoing feud between the two hip-hop stars, drawing UMG, the parent company of the labels for both artists, directly into the conflict.
In Tuesday’s filing in Bexar County, Drake alleges that UMG engaged in “irregular and inappropriate business practices” to secure radio airplay for “Not Like Us,” including making illegal payments to San Antonio-based iHeartMedia. The petition, which serves as a precursor to a potential lawsuit, requests depositions from corporate representatives of both companies.
The filing accuses UMG of being aware that “the song, along with its album art and music video, attacked the character of another one of UMG’s most prominent artists, Drake, by falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders, and committing other criminal sexual acts.”
The petition highlights that “the song calls Drake a ‘certified pedophile,’ a ‘predator,’ and someone whose name should ‘be registered and placed on neighborhood watch.’”
Drake’s filing suggests he could sue UMG for defamation, among other claims.
UMG did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the new filing. However, in a statement on Monday in response to the New York filing, the company said, “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.”
An iHeartMedia representative also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York petition, like the Texas filing, is a precursor to a potential lawsuit and claims UMG fired employees loyal to Drake “in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes.”
These back-to-back legal actions represent a major, and possibly unprecedented, escalation of the hip-hop feud, especially with the label representing two of the biggest stars in music at the center of it.
Drake, a 38-year-old Canadian rapper and five-time Grammy winner, and Lamar, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner set to headline the next Super Bowl halftime show, were occasional collaborators over a decade ago.
Their relationship soured when Lamar began taking public shots at Drake in 2013, and the feud intensified earlier this year.
“Not Like Us,” released in May, marked a particularly vicious moment in the ongoing clash between the two artists.
