By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Drake sued his longtime label on Wednesday, accusing Universal Music Group (AS:UMG) of defamation for promoting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” saying the song’s false accusation that the Canadian rapper is a pedophile has put him and his family in danger.
In a complaint in Manhattan federal court, Drake said the song was “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile” and the public should exert “vigilante justice” in response.
Drake said it led to attempted break-ins at his home, prompting him to travel with extra security, and pull his seven-year-old son from his Toronto elementary school and the Toronto area.
He and Lamar, an American rapper who won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for music, have feuded for about a decade.
“UMG may spin this complaint as a rap beef gone legal, but this lawsuit is not about a war of words between artists,” according to the complaint from Drake, whose given name is Aubrey Drake Graham.
“Notwithstanding a relationship spanning more than a decade, UMG intentionally sought to turn Drake into a pariah, a target for harassment, or worse,” the complaint added. “UMG chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
Neither UMG nor its lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment. UMG has denied trying to undermine Drake or using unethical practices to promote “Not Like Us.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for defamation and harassment. Lamar is not a defendant, though Drake called “Not Like Us” defamatory. Drake’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
Wednesday’s lawsuit followed a November petition in a New York state court in which Drake, through his company Frozen Moments, accused UMG and Spotify (NYSE:SPOT) of using payola and streaming bots to promote “Not Like Us” at his music’s expense.
Drake withdrew that petition on Tuesday night. His related case against UMG and radio company iHeartMedia (NASDAQ:IHRT) remains pending in a Texas state court, online records show.
The feud between Drake and Lamar has played out in part through so-called “diss” tracks including “Not Like Us.”
In that song, released last May 4, Lamar mentioned Drake by name, saying “Drake, I hear you like ’em young” and calling him and others “certified pedophiles.”
A day earlier, Drake released “Family Matters,” appearing to accuse Lamar of physical abuse and infidelity, and questioning whether Lamar’s business partner fathered one of his children.
“Not Like Us” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for two weeks last year. It received five nominations for the Feb. 2 Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year.
The case is Graham v UMG Recordings Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-00399.
