Drake taking legal action against music giant Universal Music Group and streaming titan Spotify has divided fans and the hip-hop community. While Drake is getting flamed by many people who believe his legal action is due to him being butthurt over losing the rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, Drake’s court filings seem to prove that might not be the case.
Drake Isn’t Taking Legal Action Against Kendrick Lamar
Drake recently filed two pre-action petitions in connection to Kendrick Lamar’s single “Not Like Us.” The first one, filed in New York Supreme Court on Monday (Nov. 25), accuses UMG and Spotify of conspiring to artificially inflate “Not Like Us” numbers by using bots and payola. UMG is also accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the NY Deceptive Business Act and the NY False Advertising Act in doing so.
The second legal action, filed in Texas, accuses UMG of defamation for releasing “Not Like Us,” which was “falsely accusing [Drake] of being a sex offender,” and colluding with iHeartRadio in a play-for-pay scheme.
Though his claims all involve K-Dot’s chart-topping single, Kendrick is not named of any illegal wrongdoing in either filing, which raises the question: Is this more about beef or Drake disrupting a broken system?
The answer could easily be both. The timing of the legal action, filed three days after Kendrick broke the internet with the release of his new GNX album, doesn’t seem to be a coincidence and is on par with Drake’s petty persona. However, leaving Kendrick out of the legal filings, especially the defamation claim, proves this might be deeper than rap.
Read More: What It Means If Drake Wins Lawsuit Against UMG
The Bigger Picture of Drake Going After UMG
There have been mixed reviews on Drake’s latest chess move with some people seeing the bigger picture.
“Drake is suing UMG and Spotify for artificially boosting streams for NLU using bots, influencers, and algorithmic manipulation,” one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He is not suing because he lost, but because they violated the false advertising laws and the RICO act to try and harm his career. Yall just lazy to read.”
Drake has been signed under the UMG umbrella since his career began, first through Young Money/Republic and later signing a deal with Republic in 2022, reportedly worth $400 million. However, the relationship has soured and Drake is now calling out the label for using illegal means to prop up Kendrick—who is signed to UMG through Interscope—and take Drizzy down.
Universal Music Group is denying Drake’s accusations. A spokesperson for the company has released the following statement to XXL in response to Drake’s claims: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” the statement reads. “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.”
Drake has yet to officially file a lawsuit with his pre-action petitions essentially being a fact-finding mission. A mission that appears to be bigger than retaliation for taking an L.