Drake is taking a legal stand in his own defense against claims he is a pedophile, filing his second action in two days against Universal Music Group as distributors of Kendrick Lamar hit, “Not Like Us.”
The Toronto rapper filed the petition in Texas Tuesday (Nov. 25), accusing UMG of distributing the song knowing that it “falsely” accuses him of having had inappropriate relationships with young women. According to the petition obtained by Variety, Drake’s legal rep argues that the label, “could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed. 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. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”
Drake also believes UMG “funneled payments” to radio network iHeart as part of a “pay-to-play scheme” to promote “Not Like Us” on the airwaves.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 22: Drake is seen on March 22, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by 305pics/GC Images)
This follows Drake’s petition accusing UMG and Spotify of being in cahoots against him in the “artificial inflation” of “Not Like Us” streaming numbers, accusations the label has since denied in a statement.
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” detailed the memo. “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.“
To be clear, neither petition is an actual lawsuit. They are, “pre-action filings intended taking depositions from key figures at UMG and iHeart in order to obtain more information for a potential future lawsuit,” Variety reports.
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