Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Kendrick Lamar Over ‘Not Like Us’ Allegations of Criminal Pedophilia

Drake’s Lawsuit Against UMG

Drake is taking legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) regarding the release of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” from last year, which accused Drake and his associates of being “certified pedophiles” who should be “registered and placed under surveillance.”

Allegations in the Lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed today (January 15) in federal court in New York, argues that the release and promotion of the track, which Lamar claims implies that Drake “likes young,” exemplifies how “corporate greed overrides the safety and well-being of its artists.”

As reported by Guardian, the lawsuit alleges that UMG “endorsed, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit rap track” intended to convey a specific, unmistakable, and false statement that Drake is a criminal pedophile, suggesting that the public should respond with vigilante justice.

The lawsuit also highlights the artwork of “Not Like Us,” which depicts Drake’s Toronto residence marked with indicators typically used for registered sex offenders. Moreover, it references a shooting near the rapper’s home two days post-release, dubbing it “the 2024 equivalent of Pizzagate.”

Attorney Michael J. Gottlieb is representing Drake in this case. Gottlieb previously represented the owner of a Washington, D.C. pizzeria that was targeted by “Pizzagate” conspiracy theorists in 2016, alongside election workers falsely accused by Rudy Giuliani during the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

According to reports, Universal has yet to respond to these allegations, as stated by BBC.

Earlier today, Drake withdrew a lawsuit accusing record labels of inflating streams for “Not Like Us.” He initially filed this lawsuit in November last year, claiming that UMG and Spotify “artificially inflated” the track’s stream count.

However, recent reports indicate that the rapper met with representatives from Spotify and Universal on January 14 to discuss the issue. BBC reported that Spotify, which had filed an objection, had no further objections, while Universal, which did not file an objection, maintained its stance.