Drake’s rivalry with Kendrick Lamar went up in flames in May 2024 after Lamar released his now-infamous diss track, ‘Not Like Us.’ The track, which quickly shot up to number one on the Billboard Top 100, alludes to claims of sexual misconduct and pedophilia against Drake.
In response to this, Drake has filed a defamation lawsuit claiming that Universal Music Group (UMG) “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track.” Per the lawsuit, UMG did this by paying Instagram and X influencers to post about the song.
Moreover, the suit also claims that UMG “whitelisted” this content in order to enable high-profile creators to make reaction content without the risk of copyright issues.
The influencers embroiled in this case include Kai Cenat, Cartier Family, Zias!, RDC, and No Life Shaq. Cenat later reacted to the lawsuit in a live stream, asking: “Why am I in this s**t?!”
UMG Lawsuit: The Record Label’s Response
In response to the suit, a representative for UMG said, “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical.”
They added, “We have not and do not engage in defamation—against any individual. At the same time, we will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation, as well as any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more than write a song.”
