**In an escalating feud, Drake has filed a second legal action against Universal Music, alleging defamation and fraudulent marketing tactics related to Kendrick Lamar’s contentious song.**
**Drake's Legal Battle Over Kendrick Lamar's Controversial Track Intensifies**
**Drake's Legal Battle Over Kendrick Lamar's Controversial Track Intensifies**
**Legal disputes heat up between the two rap icons as Drake challenges Universal Music over Kendrick's latest hit.**
Drake has initiated a second legal action against Universal Music within two days, centered on Kendrick Lamar's contentious track "Not Like Us." This song, released amid an ongoing feud between the two artists, has led Drake to accuse the record label of defamation, asserting that they could have intervened to prevent the song's release, which purportedly "falsely" labels him a sex offender.
Drake's legal representatives contend that Universal "executed a plan" to turn the track into a viral sensation, leveraging Lamar's incendiary lyrics to stir public hysteria and drive significant revenues. This latest action follows a filing in New York, where Drake accused the record label of unlawfully amplifying the song's presence on streaming platforms like Spotify.
In response, Universal Music has labeled Drake's claims as "offensive and untrue." The company stated, "We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns," adding that fans ultimately determine the music they wish to enjoy, regardless of the alleged legal tactics Drake cites.
Similar to the earlier documents submitted, this latest filing is not a traditional lawsuit but a "pre-action petition." This legal maneuver allows Drake’s lawyers to request the court to mandate the preservation of all pertinent documentation and information in light of possible future litigation. The filing took place in Texas and also includes references to iHeartRadio, a massive radio network operating over 850 stations across the United States.
Drake's legal team claims that "Not Like Us" garnered over 25 million plays on iHeartRadio within four months of release, alleging potential "covert payments" were made to iHeartRadio as a part of a "pay-to-play scheme" to promote the song. However, they also acknowledge they have been unable to verify the existence of such payments, but argue that iHeartRadio is a likely candidate for any payouts, given its status as the leading audio company in the US.
If the court deems it appropriate, the proposed action could mandate the companies to provide any relevant evidence surrounding these allegations.
Adding depth to his grievances against Universal, in this latest documentation, Drake alleges that the corporation was aware that Lamar's lyrics "falsely" branded him a "certified paedophile" and labeled him as a "predator" yet chose to release the song regardless.
"Not Like Us" has been deemed as a pivotal moment in the long-standing rivalry between Drake and Lamar, who have been trading lyrical barbs since the early 2010s. The track debuted at number one in the US charts and has garnered four Grammy nominations, including song of the year.
In retaliation, Drake released a track named "The Heart Part 6" in response to Lamar’s accusations, with claims of having misled Lamar through a double agent. However, he later scrapped the track from his Instagram.
Both stars have established successful careers, with Drake and Lamar licensing their music through Universal’s respective subsidiary labels, OVO Music and Interscope, while maintaining individual artistic identities within the hip-hop realm.
