Earlier Drake had withdrawn a legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify, accusing the companies of a scheme to “artificially inflate” Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us.
Now, according to a legal document filed by Drake on January 15, and obtained by Music Business Worldwide, the artist has launched a full-blown defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group.
Within the lawsuit, Drake accuses UMG of promoting a “false and malicious narrative” about Drake via the content of the lyrics, single artwork and music video for Not Like Us.
He also claims that the release and promotion of the recording has resulted in “physical threat to Drake’s safety” as well as “the bombardment of online harassment”, and as such, “fears for the safety and security of himself, his family and his friends”.
According to the complaint, filed in a New York court today, “this lawsuit is not about the artist who created Not Like Us. It is instead entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false but dangerous”.
The petition also claimed that “UMG charged Spotify licensing rates 30 percent lower than its usual licensing rates for Not Like Us in exchange for Spotify affirmatively recommending the Song to users who are searching for other unrelated songs and artists.”
It continued to allege: “UMG nor Spotify disclosed that Spotify had received compensation of any kind in exchange for recommending the Song.”
A spokesperson for UMG told MBW in November: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. 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.”
MBW has reached out to UMG for a response to the latest legal filing.
