In a surprising turn of events, Drake has filed a second legal action against his longtime record label Universal Music Group (UMG). This latest filing accuses UMG of defamation and claims the label failed to prevent the release of Kendrick Lamar's track "Not Like Us," which allegedly falsely portrays Drake as a sex offender.
According to the details in the new filing, Lamar's song contains accusations labeling Drake as a "certified pedophile" and "predator." Despite being aware of these damaging claims, UMG reportedly chose to move forward with the song's release, even "designing and financing a plan to turn 'Not Like Us' into a viral mega-hit."
This is not the first time Drake has taken legal action against UMG. Earlier this year, the rapper filed a lawsuit in New York accusing the label of unlawfully promoting Lamar's song on Spotify.
In the latest filing, submitted in Texas, Drake's legal team is seeking to collect depositions from key figures at UMG and iHeartRadio. The goal is to gather more evidence to support a potential defamation claim, as well as explore additional allegations of civil fraud and racketeering.
While Kendrick Lamar is not directly named in the petition and is not accused of any wrongdoing, Drake's lawyers assert that UMG knew the song, album art, and music video would tarnish the rapper's reputation by falsely linking him to criminal sexual acts. The filing also accuses UMG of giving Lamar an unfair advantage in their competition, prioritizing one artist over another through allegedly illegal means.
Neither UMG nor iHeartRadio have responded to requests for comment on the latest legal filing from Drake's camp. It remains to be seen how this high-profile dispute between the superstar rapper and his longtime label will unfold in the coming weeks and months.
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